ABSTRACT
THERE are two distinct classes of rulers holding sway on the Niger. The first, and perhaps the least dangerous, is the man of a dynasty, sacred by the special protection of the Ju-Ju and by the right of long descent. Nominally he is a despot, in reality often a mere puppet, whose mind is swayed by a host of fetiche counsellors, and his every action cramped by wearisome tradition. Such a one was the King of Old Benin; and this man, in spite of the revolting practices carried on in his name, was probably less to blame than the exponents of the Ju-Ju, who, after all, were the real instigators of most of the devilish cruelty. The second is the sable trader or soldier who has grown rich by commerce or raid, and being of necessity a man of energy and ability, bound by no effete traditions, is even a more difficult person to control. Headman Nana of Brohemie was a characteristic representative of this latter type, and his rise and fall form an instructive lesson.
