A Mission to Gelele, King of Dahome
With Notices of the So Called Amazons, the Grand Customs, the Yearly Customs, the Human Sacrifices, the Present State of the Slave Trade, and the Negro's Place in Nature
📘 About This Book
Hardcover reprint of the original 1893 edition - beautifully bound in brown cloth covers featuring titles stamped in gold, 8vo - 6x9. No adjustments have been made to the original text, giving readers the full antiquarian experience. For quality purposes, all text and images are printed as black and white. This item is printed on demand. Book Information: Burton, Richard Francis, Sir. A Mission To Gelele, King of Dahome: With Notices of The So Called Amazons, The Grand Customs, The Yearly Customs, The Human Sacrifices, The Present State of The Slave Trade, And The Negro's Place In Nature, Volume 2. Indiana: Repressed Publishing LLC, 2012. Original Publishing: Burton, Richard Francis, Sir. A Mission To Gelele, King of Dahome: With Notices of The So Called Amazons, The Grand Customs, The Yearly Customs, The Human Sacrifices, The Present State of The Slave Trade, And The Negro's Place In Nature, Volume 2. London, Tylston And Edwards, 1893. Subject: Black Race
📖 Summary
Sir Richard Francis Burton's A Mission to Gelele, King of Dahome offers an unfiltered, historically significant window into nineteenth-century West Africa through the eyes of one of Britain's most famous and eccentric explorers. Presented here in a durable 2012 hardcover reprint of the original 1893 edition, this volume preserves the complete, unadjusted text and black-and-white images to deliver a genuine antiquarian experience. Burton was dispatched as an emissary to the Kingdom of Dahomey, and his extensive observations cover a staggering array of cultural, political, and social phenomena that defined the region during that era. The book delves deeply into the complex governance and society of King Gelele's domain, providing meticulous documentation of customs that fascinated and disturbed Victorian sensibilities. Among the most prominent subjects explored are the legendary Dahomean Amazons, the formidable all-female military regiments that served as the king's elite bodyguards and frontline warriors. Burton examines their training, social status, and martial prowess with a mixture of anthropological curiosity and nineteenth-century bias. Furthermore, the text addresses the elaborate state ceremonies of the region, including the Grand Customs and the Yearly Customs, which involved vast gatherings, displays of royal wealth, and controversial human sacrifices. Beyond court rituals, Burton casts a critical and detailed eye on the economic realities of the period, offering observations on the present state of the slave trade as it operated within the region. He also engages with the pseudoscientific racial theories of his day, dedicating discourse to what he termed the negro's place in nature, reflecting both the prevailing colonial attitudes of the era and Burton's own idiosyncratic worldview. Because no modern editorial adjustments or revisions have been made to soften or contextualize the original prose, contemporary readers encounter the text precisely as it was published in the late nineteenth century. This makes the work a double-layered artifact, revealing as much about Victorian British intellect, exploration culture, and imperial mindset as it does about the Kingdom of Dahomey itself. For historians, researchers of African studies, and enthusiasts of classic travel literature, this volume serves as a vital primary source. It challenges the modern reader to navigate historical prejudice while extracting valuable ethnographic data. The physical presentation, featuring brown cloth covers with gold-stamped titles in a standard octavo format, complements the historical weight of the content inside, bridging the gap between nineteenth-century publishing traditions and modern print-on-demand accessibility. Ultimately, Burton's work remains a monumental, if controversial, achievement in travel writing and early anthropology, capturing a vanished world through the lens of a deeply complex historical figure.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Provides an unedited, authentic antiquarian reading experience true to the original 1893 publication.
Offers invaluable primary source documentation of nineteenth-century West African culture and politics.
Features detailed observations on the military structure and societal role of the Dahomean Amazons.
Beautifully bound in a classic hardcover format with gold-stamped titles.
⚠️ Cons
Contains nineteenth-century racial theories and colonial biases that reflect the prejudices of the author's era.
Lacks modern editorial footnotes or contextual commentary to guide contemporary readers through sensitive subjects.
❓ FAQ
What is the historical context of A Mission to Gelele, King of Dahome? +
The book documents Sir Richard Francis Burton's nineteenth-century diplomatic journey to the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa.
Does this 2012 edition contain modern edits or updates to the text? +
No, no adjustments have been made to the original text, providing readers with the full antiquarian experience of the 1893 edition.
What major topics does Burton cover in the book? +
Burton covers the Dahomean Amazons, the Grand and Yearly Customs, human sacrifices, the slave trade, and nineteenth-century racial theories.
How is the physical book designed? +
It is a hardcover reprint featuring brown cloth covers with gold-stamped titles in an 8vo format with black-and-white illustrations.
Who authored the book? +
The book was written by the renowned British explorer, writer, and diplomat Sir Richard Francis Burton.
