The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-05-13
NUMBER 80.

will be read with a singular interest
Having entered the gate of the city. which
is ornamented with human skulls, and in the vi
cinity of the principal Fetish house, VIC halted.
and taking position in chairs across the road
waited for the ceremony of being met by theCa-
| oooceers In short time an immense crowd
advanced towards US, with banners flying among
them. At some distance they halted, and the
Governor ofthe city, at the head of few sold
iers, advanced. When arrived in front of our
position, he countermarched, and made circle
from left to right three times round our seats.
boWlng each time when he came in front On
the last time he fired of musket and danced
before US then having shaken hands, he took 9
seat The square in front of the palace though
extremely large, was dersely crowded with arm
ed men and women, squatted on their hams
their long Danish muskets standing up like g
miniature forest Banners abounde those OF
the King being uniformly .urmounted by skull.
Ihls CHASTITY style Of ornament appears to Be
particularly in request in Dahomey. The pal
ace wall OF red clay, standing about twenty-five
Iee' hlgn, extending over more than q square
mile, was one continued line Of human skulls.
yet 1t might be remarked that. where decay had
destroyed them, these gha.tly ornament. were
not replaced. On the thresholds and sides oY
the portals Of the palace were also human skulls.
but the practice of human sacrifice is fast van
lshlng from the kingdom of Dahomey
Lieut.. Forbes Witnessed specimen of despot-
lc power, which i'll agrees with the concluding
statement of the above passage Ten persons
OF rank, who had given offence to the king, were
led prisoners about the city, and compelled to
dance, after which their heads were cut off with
large knives, in presence of the British function
airy, and in spite of his entreaties and remons
frances
The king Of Dahomey has a regular cabinet.
"A Prime Minister, Minister of Police a Tres
surer, Minister of Justice, sc. He has ,;,S-
teen thousand ,rires-if those who have counted
them can be trusted-which we think rather
doubtful. He has army ofAmazons, ofvhicb
the following description is given:
The king then expressed a wish that should
witness review of the female troops, and two
regiments were at once paraded, but not before
the ground was shifted and marked out for the
maneuvring. The officers (female) were distin-
gulshed by armlets of silver reaching from the
wrist TO the elbow, and CARRYING each q small
"hlP The whole were uniformly dressed in tu-
mes OF blue and white, armed with muskst,
club and short sword, carried cartouch-boxes
and went through several evolutions skirmisL
ing, firing volleys, &C., with much precision
The British officer treated his Majesty to a
basket of champagne, which was despatched
with great gusto at dinner, to which the form
er was invited. But the festivities were inter
rupted IN an extraordinary manner After
drinking her Majesty's health the troops bpr-
rahed, and the salute commenced; but before :,
was half over, We were all obliged to scamper
after the Prime Minister. and b;5s o,,,. g
against the wall, as portion of the IS, 900 roy
al wives were passing, ringing a small bell
These sable ladies are all over the town at su
times, and no male may gaze on them unpunisb-
ed.
Inc kings wives are notable fighters. and
"hen slare-hunt is undertaken, they are surs
10 catch more than the same number of NAL,
| troops The scale of his operations NAV be es
| timated when we state that, in one expedition
he captured no fewer than I9, 900 men. women
and children. After sacrificing 500 he sold the
rest for expectation. His annual revenue fro,,
the sale of slaves is estimated at about eco ooo
| = s -A~1uihS U tne latest accounts he
had thrown off the mask and was laueb;nr q,
the credulity of the English, who had fancie5
that he would degrade himself BIZ EMPLOYING hi,
Amazonian body guard in the cultivation of eot-
ton, or IN any other peaceable pursuit
According to the testimony of Lieut.. Forhe.
| the permanent cessation of the slaye-trade is 8
thing hardly to be expected. No organized sv,-
tenn is required for its support 1t might bs
suspended for century, and then renewed at :.
weeks notice. The British, il seems. have no
confidence in the pledges to abstain from III.
traffic, given by the African Chiefs and with
this belief 1t is not likely that their bloekading
squadron will be withdrawn at present.
MoosE CoLERED.-Dry goods stores are some
times the scene of ludicrous conversation. the
other day young lady stepped into a well
known establishment in town, and enquired of =
handsome clerk:
Sir, have you any mouse-colored ladies
gloves
'Mouse-colored ladies, miss .
'Yes-a sort of gray-just the color OF YOUR
drawers there meaning the storeI drawers
which were painted gray.
My drawers, miss calculated the vouns,o
glancipg downward At his dress 10 see ;f &C.,
thing was right and tight; INV drawe-. -.
why Con: toeor Guy - --'e'
The young lady was carried hcn.an -.