Lot 553: Francis Chesham 1749-1806- "The King of Dahomy's

Francis Chesham 1749-1806- "The King of Dahomy's Levee"; published April 1st, 1793 by J. Evans, Pater-noster, London, plate 1, engraving after Robert Norris, act.1793, from the "The history of Dahomy, an inland Kingdom of Africa". by Archibald Dazel, together with five further plates and a map from the same suite, to include plates: "Adahoonzou Cuts off 127 Heads to Complete the Ornament of His Wall, pl.6; Armed women with the King at their head, going to war, pl.2; Victims for sacrifice, pl.3; Public procession of the King's women & c, pl.4; Last day of the annual customs for watering the graves of the King's ancestors, pl.5; Dahomy and its environs by R. Norris, map; 22x24cm, ea., (7) in matching frames, Note: Archibald Dalzel (1740-1811) was the British Governor of the Gold Coast (Ghana) He went to Africa as a surgeon in 1763 and returned to England in 1770. During this time he served four years as governor of Whydah. Appointed by the Committee of Merchants that was in charge of the Gold Coast at the time, he served as governor in two periods 1792 -1798 and 1800-1802. In 1793 he published The history of Dahomy an inland kingdom of Africa ; where he argued that the raiding of Dahomean villages for slaves was saving them from the greater evil of being human sacrifices. (7)