The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-18
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HCMAy SACRIFICES At DAHOWkIss -
The Ao"itew publishes letter from Whya
which supplies details respecting ths 6Di1irat7r
human sacrifices recently held at Abomey, ths csbi.
tai OF Dahomey, before the King and in psesenca 81
au his court and great dignitanes Of Statc. Ths
letter says:
The King having announced te thS M = chat,
~ a snort time. to honor the names o{ A0ainpro,
MS ancestor, and King Geo. his hthef, l6rky bxiS
soasrs belonging 70 the rebel tribe ef the AGka4,
would be inundated on the marke. place At AbsAs.
decided that this barbasuus deed sh>ed. 6 ecoc.6
p,sned one hour before sunrise. Many Euroeoana1
who were in the town had an audience a fha
Monarch and impaored him 70 give UP he horrible
The King declared that he could mot suppress ths
nauona festival. but that in consideration for tho
Iosagners' consented 10 reduce the number sfthe
Vc1sms 70 twelve. On the eve Of the sAcrinca ho
went TO great shed, under which the forty pSiso-
ners were secured to poets. He gave an order that
twenty eight should be released, and that they6
noaia PC taken back to their prison, and thu sd
dressed himself b tho twelve Others, n ee1@1aane
nounce to them that, next morning. in cxpiation 81
the crimes committed by the chief of their tribe,
ana to satisfy the shade Of his father and his an
cestor they would be decaptated before the assem-
bied people. The unfortunate men heard the royal
speech with the utmost Indifference
The King added that two Of them would be exc
cMted With his own hand, and then retired short
vk
brother. He chose two Of the prisoners ANNOUNCED
to them that they had been selected to be dispatched
by his brother, but in order to be admitted to such
an honor 1T was necessary to purify their crime
stained hodies. and that they must pass the night
IN the great fetish temple, Frustrated before tho
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 large ivory throne, surrounded BY his court.
the great disnitaries of the kingdom, and the min
istry.
Oa the centre Of the place was large silver ves.
sell intended to receive the blood of the victims
When the hour had come, the King advanced, took
very thin steel sabre, and depressed the heads Of
the two prisoners he was about to immediate. These
poor wretehes. on the order given to them, we're
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
resumed his seat on the throne. The other ten
prisoners We're executed by the great fetish man. or
hlgh PRIEST who picked up each victims head and
showed 1t to the people, whilst they uttered erocous
yes.
When all was over, the populace fell upon the
bodies OF the unforbunate victims, which they cut
into pieces and then drank their blood. The King
retired III great pomp, and caused the twelve heads
to be fixed on the walls of his palace. These mon-
st1o,s scenes occur three four times year. and
this Is the nineteenth century Unfortunately hui
man sacrifices are not confined to the kingdom of
Dahomey. They take place also very frequently in
the kingdoms of Abbeokuta, Ashantee and Benin.
also situated in Africa, and in the same region a.
Dahomey.