Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-04-17
DahOmey, i'm Africa.

! Ine various particulars Of statistical and other
information relative to Dahomey, ACQUIRED by
Lieut.. Forbes during his first mission, saws the Atb
enGum, may be thus thrown together The coun-
try is about $50 miles in extent from east TO west
and about 200 miles from the sea cost to its in
land frontier, the Kong mountains This large
country, though rich in all kinds of natural resour
ces is very thinly peopled, owing to the devasta-
ting war and slave hunts of which it has been the
scene for more than century. The whole popu-
lation does not exceed, it is supposed 100000 per-
sons OF both sexes of whom only 10000 are free.
The capital, Abomey, numbers about 10000 in
Aabitants The Dahoman army consists ofl2OOO
regular troops, of whom about 5000 are Amazons
or lighting negresses-such armies of Amazons
having been one of the Institutions of Dahomey
ever since the reign of Ada Hoonzoo, the grand
father of Gezo, (l774-17s9), one of whose ..hap-
py conceptions it was to make his female subjects
serve him as soldiers as well as males. On occa-
slons OF emergency however, the King of Dahomv
can bring $4,000 soldiers of both sexes, or fourth
part OF his subjects, into the field the women be-
ing as efficient as the men, and much tiercer.
The sole occupation of the nation, with the ex-
cePtlon OF little agriculture, which is well con-
Quoted, and few manufacturing processes carried
on at Abomey, is war or slave-hunting. Every
year the nation is levied en- masSe-a forav is led
against some adjacent tribe or nation interior
or near the coast-villages are DESTROYED and the
aged and young murdered,- thousands of
prisoners are dragged into the Dohoman territory.
to be either sacrificed to the Fetish gods or driven
down to Whydah, where resident slave merchants
purchase them from the Dahoman king, sell them
again to Portuguese and Brazilian traders who are
on the watch to run them through the line of the
British cruisers and across the Atlantic. These
save-hunts usually take place in November and
december Their proceeds form the sole revenue
OF the Dahoman king who, besides supplying his
soldiers with rations, rewards them by an annual
largess OF rum, CLOTH cowry-shells, &c, during the
period OF the 60 Customs" His ministers and hirb-
er officers are similarly paid. The king is abso-
lutte, and decapitates his subjects at peasure,-his
prime minister being also his executioner; still
there are certain traditions and rules which bind
him. At the annual "Customs'' Dahoman opinion
makes itself heard and topics of state are freely
handled in a noisy palaver, in which the Amazons
take leading part. At these "Customs' the
of the next save-hunt is discussed and scret
/ ly determined. The Fetish people, or priests, ex-
ercise good deal of influence all the year round.
! A HARD SHELLS HYMN BooK-A traveller cal
led at nightfall at farmers house the owner be-
ing from home, the mother and the daughter being
alone, refused to lodge the traveller How far then
said he, to house where preacher can get lodg-
ings? Oh, iyou are preacher, said the old lady,
you can stay here. He deposited the sadde-bags
in the house, and led his horse to the stable
Meanwhile the mother and daughter were deba-
ting the point as to what kind of preacher he
was He cannot be Presbyterian, said the one
for he is not dressed well enough. He is not a
Methodist said the other for his coat is not the
right cut for Methodist. If l could find his
Hymn Book said the daughter, could tell what
sort of preacher he is and with that thrust her
hand into the saddle-bags and pulled out flask of
liquor, she exclaimed-'' La! mother he's Hard
Shelled Baptistr'