"This is hot," Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and bullets
whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing many of
the defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others to take
accurate aim. This, however, the Abeokutans did not try to do.
Stooping below the parapet, they fitted their arrows to the string,
or loaded their muskets, and then, standing up, fired hastily at
the approaching throng.
The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the parapet
gave an additional height of some four feet outside. They were
about three feet thick at the top, and but a limited number of men
could take post there to oppose the storming party. Strong bodies
were placed farther along on the wall to make a rush to sweep the
enemy off should they gain a footing. Others were posted below to
attack them should they leap down into the town, while men with
muskets were on the roofs of the houses near the walls, in readiness
to open fire should the enemy get a footing on the wall. The din
was prodigious.
The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed entirely
with muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade guns or
old converted muskets, bought by traders for a song at the sale
of disused government stores.
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