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Saturday 12 August 2017

Portuguese gunboat Ave sent to Dahomey according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 4 September 1883

An item reported that the king of Dahomey (1) believing that Portugal intended to hand over part of the coast to England immediately ordered to imprison the Portuguese commanding officer and the soldiers of Whydah fortress.(2) Vice admiral Teixeira da Silva (3), governor of St. Thome (4) sent the gunboat Ave (5) to make clear that the rumours were false and the military were released.

Notes
1. Kingdom of Dahomey to be located in Benin, in 1894 annexed by France after king Behanzin lost the war and becoming a French protectorate 1894-1904, then part of French Dahomey nowadays known as the Republic of Benin.
2. The fort of São João  de Ajudá {nowadays known as Ouidah, Atlantic coast of Benin], under Portuguese control until 1961.
3. Francisco Teixeira da Silva (1826 Lisbon, Portugal-26 April 1894 Beira, Mozambique), governor 26 January 1882-24 May 1884.
.4 Nowadays the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe located in the Gulf of Guinea.
5. Or Rio Ave, built by Arsenal de Marinha, Lisbon, Portugal in 1879, converted into a light ship in Portuguese Guinea [now Guinea-Bissau], laid up in 1899 and still existing in 1901.