The Portland daily press., 1864-11-29
MISCELLANY.
The Evil Night Of Dahomsy.

PARTICULARS OF THE "GRAND CUSTOM"
Mr.. Burton, the Eoglish traveller, so well
known by his "Mecca and Medina" and his
work on the Mormons, has recently published
In England his account of his visit to Daho-
mey, whittier he went under official instruc-
lions from the British government He gives
in this volume the fullest account that has yet
appeared Of the barbarous religious rite known
rs the "Grand Custom" by which SO many un-
lucky victims have been sacrificed. ut is"
he says, however, "no mere lust of blood, nor
delight in torture and death, that underlies
the rite in these lands. The King has to per-
form disagreeable task over his ances trail
graves, and he does it; his subjects would
deem it impious were he to curtail or omit
the performance, and suddenly to suppress it
would be as if European monarch were
forcibly to abolish prayers for the dead.n
The execution always takes place after dark
on what is called "The Evil Night" and Ii
any person Is caught out of his house on
that night he is beheaded; SO frightful mys-
terry attends the sacrifice of human life. The
victims are first kept in building thus de-
scribed:
THE VICTIM PEN.
"In the Uhun, no market-place, outsiue tue
Ako-chyO Gate, and not atlacneu, Do ~ useu
to be, to the paIace-wall, STOOD Victinl-sneu'
completed and furnished FROM ala, tue
shape was nos unlike tns' VI an is.a WI
lage church. barn and tower. Inc total
Ienuth was about one hundred feet, the breadth
fortS and the greatest height sixty. 1t was
made of roughly squared posts, nine feet high
and planted deep III the earth. The ground
Aoor of the southern front had sixteen poles,
uoon which rested the joists and planks sup
porting the pent-shaped roof of The barn.
There was western double-storied turret,
each front having four posts. The whole roo
was covered with tattered cloth, blood-red,
bisected by single broad stripe OF blue check
In the turret and the barn were twenty VIC
tins. All were seated on cage stools, and
bound to the posts which passed between
their legs; the ankles, the shins under the
knees, and the wrists being dashed outside
W th connected ties. Necklaces of rope, pass
ing behind the back, and fastened to the up
per arms. were also made tight to the posts,
The confinement was not cruel; each victim
had an attendant squatting behind him to
keep of the flies; all were led four times q
day, aud were loosed at night for sleep. AS
will be shown, 1t Is the Kings object to keep
them in the best OF humors. The dress Of
these victims was that of state criminals. -
They wore long white nightcaps, with spirals
OF blue ribbon sewn on, and calico shirts OF
quasi European cut, decorated round the neck
aud down the sleeves with red bindings, and
with crimson patch on the left breast. The
remaining garment was loin-cloth, almost
hidden by the "camise." 1t was an ominous
sight; but at times the King exposes without
staying his victims. A European under the
circumstances would have attempted escape
and IN all probability would have succeeded
these men will allow themselves to be led 10
slaughter like lambs. 1t is, l imagine, the I'M
certainty OF their fate that produces this ex.
traOrdinary n0nchGtGnee. They marked time
to music, and they chatted together, especial
" remarklng US. Possibly they were specu,
lating upon the chances of a pardon"
Through the influence of Mr.. Burton the
horrors of the "Evil Night" we're somewhat
diminished; yet be thus describes the scenes
he Witnessed after one of these grand Gus
toms:
Inc approach to the Palace was not pleas
ant. The northeastern or market she'd was
empty; out OF its tenants nine had perished.
Four corpses, attired in their criminals' shirts
and nighcaps, were sitting in pairs on Gold
Coast stools, supported by double-stolie
scahold, about forty feet high, of rough beams
two perpendiculars, and as many connecting
horizontals. at little distance, on similar
erection, but made for half the number. were
two victims, one above the other. Between
these substantial affairs was gallows of thin
posts, some thirty feet tall, with single VIC
tim hanging by his heels. head downwards.
Lastly, planted close to the path was a pdti-
bntum for two, dangling side by side. Fine
cords, passed in several coils around the an
kles and above the knees, attached them to
the cross-bar of the gallows, and the hmpness
OF their limbs showed that the dear breath
had lately been beaten out Of them There
were no signs of violence upon the bodies,
which were wholly nude; they had been mu-
tila.ed after death, In respect to the royal
wives, and very little blood appeared upon the
ground below. We then passed to the south
eastern gate of the Komasi House, where the
palace shed was also untenanted. In front OF
sundry little black dolls, stuck in the ground
at both sides OF the entrance, lay a dozen
heads. They were In two patches of six each.
disposed in double lines Of three; their faces
were downwards, and the Clearly severed
necks caught the observers eye. Around
each heap was rim of white ashes. These
victims had probably been slaughtered direct
ly In front of the gate, as there were traces OF
blood there; the bodies had been removed. Sc
as not to offend the king. Within the palace
entrance were two more, making a total o
fourteen. Thus, during the kings Evil Night
twenty-three human beings had lost their
lives"