ARDRAH, ARDER, formerly a kingdom on the slave coast of Africa, but now a province of the kingdom of Dahomey. Ardrah, or Assem, or Azem, as it is called by the natives, is the capital of the country : It was formerly nine English miles in circumference, and con tained a number of shady walks and gardens, and a great variety of spacious buildings. The town, however, was lately in ruins. The general appearance of the country is beautiful, abounding in hill and dale. The roads are good, and the valleys produce wheat, millet, yarns, po tatoes, lemons, oranges, cocoa nuts, palm wine, and salt. The rivers of Ardrah are small, but deep, and very commodious for the transportation of merchan dise.
There are many horses in the canton of Assem, but they were employed only for mounting the king's ca valry. The inhabitants of Ardrah, who arc reckoned insolent and mercenary, resemble the Dahomans and the Whydahs in their manners. They make an incision in each cheek, and turn up a part of the flesh towards the ears, till it heals in that position. Polygamy is al lowed in Ardrah. Conjugal infidelity is punished with servitude ; and persons who are insolvent are sold at the pleasure of their creditors. The Ardrahs have no bury ing places, but are interred in a family vault, erected in their own houses.
The slaves which were formerly exported. from this country, amounting annually to about 3300, were pur chased by beads, ear-rings, knives, guns, silks, look ing-glasses, umbrellas, and a variety of the articles of European manufacture.
The kingdom of Ardrah was invaded by the Eyoes, in 1698, with a powerful army. Some of the Ardrahs, who had been ill treated by their king, or his caboceers, had fled for redress to the prince of the Eyoes. This generous chief sent an ambassador to remonstrate with the king of Ardrah, and assured him, that, if his vice roys did not govern with more justice and tenderness, he would be compelled to interfere. His advice being
treated with contempt, and the ambassador put to death, the king of Eyoc poured his troops into Ardrah, and de stroyed almost half the kingdom ; and though the gene ral of the Eyoes had obtained this signal victory, he was hanged on his return for not having brought with him the king of Ardrah.
The, king having insulted his own brother, whose name was Hussar, the injured prince applied for assist ance to Guadja Trudo, king of Dahomey, and offered him a large sum of money to revenge his wrongs. The proposal was instantly accepted, and Trudo, in 1727, sent off a large army, to annihilate his new enemy.
The king of Ardrah obtaining intelligence of the de sign, sent ambassadors to Whydah, requesting his as sistance against the common enemy ; but Whydah, dis tracted by faction, and considering Andrah as a formi dable rival in tradhose ruin was more to be wished than fearefr refuseno take the field, and thus paved the way for its own destruction.
Ardnh drew out an army of 50,000 men; and, after an obstinate and bloody engagement of three days, their king fell in battle, and victory declared for the Dahoman arms. Eight thousand prisoners were the result of this battle, and the remnant of the Andrah army fled with precipitation to the mountains and forests.
The land of Jaquin, on the sea-coast of Ardrah had an hereditary governor, who annually paid several loaves of salt as a tribute to the king of Ardrah. The same tribute was offered to the victorious T•udo, and readily accepted by this sagacious monarch. Ardrah has since continued under the dominidn of the kings of Dahomey. See Smith's :Vele Voyage to Guinea, p. 171. Bosman's Description of the coast of Guinea, p. 515. Sneldgrave's Account of Guinea, p. 7. Mod. Univas. that. vol. xiii. p. 359.; and Dalzel's /limey of Dahomey, p.