The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-09-19

many places the roads very bad, ana
carried chiefly the heads OF the natives and he
travelled partly on foot and partly III the hammock Whe
Gamma messengers came from the king desiring them 10
remain there Till tho following day when hewould send
de,achment Of troops to escort Mr. cra 70 the town;
The next day soldiers sent The chiefs knew wen
that he not the representative OF the British govern
mcnt but they knew that he had come from friends Of
theirs this country 10 do what he could TO further trade
and 10 promote good understanding between themselves
and this country. The next day be proceeded on his
journey. The soldiers firing and hoong ali the way
for about seventeen miles. They arrived at Gamma next
morning, and came 10 inform Mr. Craft that
the king there and ready TO see him.
The next morning they invited TO open square
10 wait the arrival OF the kings escort which sted
o. the great men OF the kingdom, warriors and others
they had been n the square for ten or fifteen minutes
soher up 10Th rose,oood liquor case. contain
ing cut glass hotties Filled 10Th different kinds Of .eine and
irs This was brought for the great men to drink Mr.
Crafts health, aud to welcome him and the soldiers
Hred salute After this they requested him 70 get into
the hammock and the palace They bad to go
the side Of the palace and in going through
they passed portion OF the market place, where there
were twelve Platforms onehundred and fty feet apart
about thirty feet high and about ten twelve feet
square On each Of these platforms placed dead
body IN an upright position Tho bodies had native
clothes upon them, with calabashes filed with native
produce and other commodities upon their heads There
also two three dead sheep with rope extending
Craft understood the object OF this custom repre-
sent their victory the natives who formerly nhabit
ed that part OF the country When the party went round
other side OF the they thousands Of the
natives In their gayest costume with umbrellas OF every
who warmly sau,ed them and after that they went into
the hammocks and got into the psace yard Here they
found thousands Of the people OF the country.
On the right chic seated and the LEFT we're
900 1000 Amazons all in their gayest costume, and
in front or the palace was large tent erected under
which the King sat- surrounded BY his wives and lew OF
the officers connected with the Amazon corps Mr. Craft
conducted to the tent beside the King who was seat
ed on table about ten square, covered with hand
cloth. Tho King said be very glad 70 see Mr.
Graft. and thanked him for the trouble he had taken to
s come ana Sec o nm M s sy e,c a az
s9id n all Q,tite nell daughter and cheers He
then asked him il the Queen had sent him, to which no
said "No but that he had come from many friends who
desired TO promote civilization and trade in that
try He told the King that the Queen Of this coun.
years had done eve ything in her power TO pro.
mote civilization 10 the country; and that no trusted
rejoice promote trade and good under tandlng be-
tween Africa and Britain. The King replied that It
all right and proposed tbe health Of the gentlemen who
t they ee expected always to taste, and they could hand
the glass to men Standing about who ,os aloays ready to
during al this tmc and the health OF tho Queen and Of
bis friends, and OF himself was drunk.
III q the as SD
Of tho Amaz0n There about two three hundred
young connected with the Amazon corps dancing
in circle and they went through good many beautiful
figures. The dancing went on all day, and he sorry
for the young women but hoy seemed as fresh at tho
end when they commenced In the morning; and he
understood they 10 the habit Of dancing daily for the
King amusement
After referring TO the arrival OF M. Gerard, mr. Cfat
proceeded TO refer to tho sacrifices Of Dahomey and said
that human sacrifices did take place In Dahoey but not
to the enormous extent that was reported Though the
King Of Dahomey pretty black, he not 80 black
he had boon printed These sacrifices took place. be
believed from thrcc In the first pacc they were
power and thirdly they partly festive. They be-
lieved that by these sacrifices they would keep their
peops, and they believed that the spirits Of their
ancestors patoo many the good things spread out
the occasion Of these sacrifices. They offered
up human sacrnccs at their anniversaries to show
al tr And
children we're never interfered with. II tho King
Of Dahomey caught number Of women, they
soldiers or others for wives, and the children
left undisurbed but the strong generally
into slavery, while the old mon were sacrificed They
might women ard children in large numbers In Daho
man. They would sacrifice them. They said that they
did not get rid OF the young mon they would get rid OF
such an element 10 their midst The King gave him avs
boysfour for his friends and ooe for hseffrom nine
e % % be
boys away that they would be free, and would
isrriur to the case q native Who had been educated
and sent out as missionary by the Church Mission
OF the King Of Dahomey, who was no, aware OF tho
circumstances under which he had to the country,
Mr. Craft proceeded to say that Gerard made great
pools OF blood He (Mr: Cra saw all that took place,
and he positively declared that there nothing
slightly the ground. Twelve dead there
N. Gerard described several upward position,
and three with their heads down. but Of them pre-
Their they been poisoned not only Of them
at oil discolored He very sorry to contradict
NJ Gerard bn, he thought was his duty TO do So NJ
Gerard had that Captain Burton could corroborate
the statement bu: when Captain Burton returned 10 In
gos he wrote an account Of his journey in tho Anglo
African, ami in that account copy Of which he
held In his hand no reference was made 10 those
horrible things. Il was tire that Captain Purton
came late but " such things rs those stated by NJ
Gerard had taken place. he would have heard OF
them from NJ Gerard or himself, ard II was not at all
~.
his account Then in the Times OF Tuesday, September l.
there letter from Edward Tinslev, In which he
roborated to some extent the cruetcs OF Africa ard
toned that received letter from Captain Burton
with regard to his visi, TO Dehomcy and in that letter
there was nothing nt all about these extraordinary things
very true account OF the Dahomey and Of what to
place IN Dahomcy and be could testify to the truth Of
Commod re WiImot's statement.
With regard TO the capabilities Of that country and
ts benga cotton growing region he expressed his dissent
cotton. He .(nr. craip not only believed tina,
cotton cmId be grown in Natal, but lie a lady
from Saa aoaa % opIooo w,s tho, fer
Natal not chilled by the frost It could not
he emuncratiye grow cotton there bu, there was not
much difference between Egypt and Natal with regard
the latitude and they had large quantity OF cotton
brought into this country from Egypt II was fair to
in with regard West Africa and Dahomcy, he could
say that cotton did grow in Dahoney. larger quantity
would have been brought TO this country from West ART
IL some difference between the British
government authorities at uoyds and the interior
n
knew that merchants buy ing cotton every day aud
having IL stored with the view of bringing II down when
thcse differences settled. With regard u Dshomey
he had cotton on tho platform from that country and he
told the King be had come 20 encsurage people To
cotton. Hitherto II bad been the practice for people to
incte these Africans with each other order
thlIhhcy might get the prisoners for ses. lie thought
tttt IL the hg Of Dutomsy could b. frersea IN cotton
qht BE- ne Of surerediog The iors rdds(" Hear.
hear . and appausc)-so he brought that matter fully
he possibly could before the king who seemed fully
,nvinced OF he benefits his country might derive from
the cultivation Of cotton. His great seemed also 10
be convinced OF the good that might be thus done lie
told the king that there would not In future be the dc
for slaves which had existed hitherto because 10
paris OF the world slavery was becoming unpopu
lar and the markets OF the world In instances
STOPPED and he slso referred 10 the taking
In America ard said 10 the King that was possible, be-
fore that over hat American sidrsry migM BE-
done o,cuy esfh-(appisusc) ard 30, there would be
very limited demand slaves He told the King there
was great demand for cotton 10 Great Britain, and
he and hts great men seemed thoroughly int
rested 10 the cultivation OF cotton. The King told
him that " he could be shown market he
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