The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-05-21 00:00:00

THE MASSACRE AT DAHOMEY.

The Royal Mail steamship Armenian, Wild, tom.
Leander, arrived at Liverpool on Saturday morning with
the mails from the West African Coast, Madeira, and
Teneriffe.

_.,..„..__.. . .
A native missionary, who witnessed the "grand
custom" of the King of Dahomey, says that more than
2,000 male human beings were slaughtered, and about
as many females and young children, besides enormous
numbers of deer, turkeys, buzzards, and other fowl.
In a commercial point of view it has also been pro-
ductive of evil. The West Africa's Herald says :--', We
learn that besides the terrible sacrifice of human life
caused by the Dalioman 'grand custom', it has also had
the effect of, in a great measure, putting a stop to trade
in that part of the country. All the principal people
have been compelled to repair to the principal (Aboiney)
and remain there to witness this custom. In Wydab,
we understand there were, when our informant left
that town, few people but women and slaves. The palm
nuta were rotting on the trees, oommerosand agriculture
ware languishing graciously. It will be • mercy, indeed,
when some civilised power shall undertake to put down
this abominable kingdom of Dahomey, the terror and
scourge of one of the lioe4 portions of Africa. We
learn that the British government are sending 200 men
to Abbeokuta to assist the natives of that town in
defending themselves against an apprehended attack
from the King of Dahomey. This will have a great
effect, and if followed op properly will result in the
destruction of the Dahoinan power. There is no doubt
all the sorronnding tribes fear and detest Dahoiney, she
will not let anybody alone. Without even the shadow
of • pretext she invades the territories of her neigh-
bours at pleasure, ravaging the country, burning the
villages, and carrying away the unoffending and unnre•
I pared inhabitauts to death or slavery. The kingdom
lof Dahomans live entirely by was. They are essentially
a nation of plunderers and warriors. They cultivate
little ; their commerce is insignificant, they subsist
altogether on the proceeds of their predatory excursions.
Let us be rid of Dahomey, and the slave trade will
receive a blow which will go far towards destroying it in
the Bight of Benin." The article then proceeds to ermine.
rate the various customs (including the King and all his
retinue) which ought to be abolished in the kingdom
Dahomey, and in their place it says make factories and
government stations in the Bight of Benin. You (the
English government) will soon be able to take sway
your cruisers ; you will no longerturn pale at the failure
of the cotton crop in America ; and millions of the
African race will bless the hand that brought them
freedom and regeneration.
Among the King of Dahomey's army there is • troop
called the Amason Guards. The West African Herald
thus describes thein;—" The Ainazon Guards, as they
have soinctimea been styled. are the most extraordinary
troops that we have ever heard or read of. They are
3,000 in number, all females, and display such • degree
of ferocious bloodthirstiness and hardihood as to bear
a greater resemblance to a host of mad tigresses than ,
to human creatures. They utterly despise death ;
they show no mercy to any living being in war; they
are mad after blood, and seem not to know what fear
means. They are in fact a troop of devils, so to speak,
whose hideous wildness of manlier, and the savage
niadneas of whom demeanour in times of excitement
is so appalling and inhuman, as to have led many well.
judging persons to opine that these dreadful creatures
are periodically subjected to the influence of some
species of drug which has this effect. The dress of the
Amazons consists of a pair of loose trousers, an upper
garment covering the breast, and a cap. They are
armed with a gun, knives, and daggers; souse have
blunderbusses, others long elephant guns, while the
re
agility."
remainder carry the ordinary musket. In their military
exercises they display discipline, as well as won-
derful dexterity and