The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-21 00:00:00

Human Sacrifices at Dahomey.

The Moniteur of yesterday publishes a letter from
Whydah which supplies details respecting the festi-
val of human sacrifices recently held at Abomey,
the capital of Dahomey, before the King and in
presence of all his court and great dignitaries of
State. The letter says'.—
" The horrible scenes we are about to describe took place
in a country which maintains active relations with Euro-
peans, and notwithstanding continued protests from
France, England, and many other Powers.
"Dahomey, situated in the maritime parts of the Niger
country, on the Slave Coast, to the east of the Bight of
Benin, is one of the most extensive and richest States o
Africa. The French, English, and Portuguese, and several
other nations have factories in it, which are nearly all
established at Whydah, the most important port of the
kingdom.

" The King, having announced to the people that in a
short time, to honour the names of Agongero his ancestor,
and King Gezo his father, 40 prisoners belonging to the
rebel tribe of the Akankas would be immolated on the
market-place at Abomey, with the usual ceremony ; three
days afterwards he decided that this barbarous deed should
be accomplished one hour before sunrise. Many Europeans,
who were in the town, had an audience of the Monarch,
and implored him to give up the horrible sacrifice. The
King declared that he could not suppress the national fes-
tival, but that in consideration for the foreigners he con-
sented to reduce the number of the victims to 12.
" On the eve of the sacrifice he went to a great shed, under
which the 40 prisoners were secured to posts. He gave
an order that 28 should be released, and that they should
be taken back to their prison, and then addressed himself
to the 12 others In order to announce to them that
next morning, in expiation of the crimes committed by the
chief of their tribe, and to satisfy the shade of his father,
and of his ancestor, they would be decapitated before the
assembled people. The unfortunate men heard the royal
speech with the utmost indifference. The King added that
two of them would be executed with his own hand, and
then retired.

"A short time afterwards arrived Prince Rocu-Sau, the
King's brother. Ile chose two of the prisoners, announced
to them that they had been selected to be despatched by
his brother, but in order to be admitted to such an honour
it was necessary to purify their crime-stained bodies, and
and that they must pass the night in the great fetish temple,
prostrated before the idols.

" On the next day the prisoners were led to the market-
place, their hands bound behind their backs. The King
presided at the ceremony, seated on a large ivory throne,
surrounded by his court, the great dignitaries of the king-
dom and the Ministry. On the centre of the place was a
large silver vessel intended to receive the blood of the
victims.

" When the hour had come the King advanced, took avery
thin steel sabre, and depressed the heads of the two prisoners
he was about to immolate. These poor wretches, on the
order given to them, were placed at the edge of the vessel
which was about to catch their blood. At the conclusion
of the first execution the crowd uttered enthusiastic shouts
of applause for full five minutes, after which the King re-
sumed his seat on the throne. The other 10 prisoners were
executed by the great fetish man, or high priest, who picked
up each victim's head and showed it to the people, whilst
they uttered ferocious yells. When all was over the popu-
lace fell upon the bodies of the unfortunate victims, which
they cut into pieces and then drank their blood. The King
retired in great pomp, and caused the 12 heads to be fixed on
the walls of his palace.

"These monstrous scenes occur three or four times a year,
and this in the 19th century ! Unfortunately, human sacri-
fices are not confined to the kingdom of Dahomey. They
take place also very frequently in the kingdom of .Aheokuta,
Ashantee, and Benin, also situated in Africa, and in the
same region as Dahomey."