The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-09-18
VOLUME 25-NUMBER 90.
u ArLIsl 1nong the Amazoas o. ArrIea

An Eugiishman, Dir. J. \. Sketch
iyi has just returned from Dahomey,
on the west coast OF Africa FoS
SIX months lac was the guest Of the
klng, by whom he was very bosDi-
tably treated. He Is the only Whit
man that has been admitted INTO rho
private apartments Of TN. KIM
There IS no town OF Dahomev. The
capital - merely one of the rnval
p2laees with official residences for The
high officers and the servants: whilt.
Jhe Amszons reside within the palace
! IN long, barn-like building immediate
~ outside and surrounding the Kings
I private apartments. At each of his
nine palaces are four thOusand of
these AmaZOns.
Before Mir. Sketchly was admitted
to the palace he went through cere-
monials lasting three DAYS, during
which be was created Prince Of thr.
royal blOCd, q Duke, and General of
the army, but not Of the Anazons
He was then permitted to see the va
Fions customs. He was an eve wit
ness 70 the grand annual ceremonial
where the priDelpSi human sacrifices
take place
For tile sacrifice called the Mem
hOO-wfO. the King reelines on a
wiekeT-wOIk lounge in his palace.
He wears only blue cotton robe. as
he considers his dignity so great that
he can afford to dress i'm ordinary
clothing. Neither the King nor the
members Of the royal family ever
dress in gaudy attire.
Above the Kings head an umbrella
is extended, and this gorgeous with
scarlet, blue and yellow figures, cut
out with knife from velvet, silk and
damask. The AmazOnS sew the
pieces together so rs to form emble-
matte devices. The bird is indicative OF
royalty. None but the Princes of D4.
honey are allowed to adopt il. The
top Of the umbrella is surmounted by
wood ornament representing a man
with bird in his hand.
The Auazons are seated round the
King. Between them and the people
number of bamboo rods are placed
in line upon the ground. Any man
who crosses one OF these rods suffers
immediate death. SOIdierS bring in
the vietims-Slaves taken in war, and
generally old men. They are gagged
by 10 cans of q stick with grass rope
wrapped around it, which fills up the
whole mouth, and is tied at the back
! of the head. Their hands are fastened
together, and they are firmly bound
to baskets which are carried on the
soldiers heads. Their bodies are en-
tirely naked, save a single cloth
around the loins. ConieaI hats are
kept on their heads until Just before
decapitaIion, The Prime Minister
lies prOstrste, ana receives in that po-
sitioH messasv fIOIn the King TO the
victims. 1hi@ messsge is to be carried
to the fatlftr OF the present King, who
died about nine years ago. For their
subsistence on the way lie gives them
each buttle of rum and head of
coYrits. Tile men are then taken TO
a platform twenty feet high i'm an ad-
jacent courtyard; there they are cast
iieadlOng, stIII -bauud to the baskets.
The execGt.OHers then cut Off their
heads and exhibit them to the people,
after which they are placed on wooden
affairs 10 ornament the palace gate.
Three days after the heads are taken
within the palace, where they are
cleansed by the AmazOns, and are
then used for state drinking cups, or
namentsfOr drums, flagstaffs and 9TH
ef purposes. The bodies of the vie
tins are dragged by the crowd through
market place, and are finally thrown
into ditch outside DahOmey, where
the hyenas soon make short work of
them. Thousands Of skeletons are in
this ditch, but not & single skull. The
men appear to have no fear of death.
Mr. Sketchly states that he has fire.
quently looked into a mans face just
at the moment when he was about to
have his head cut of, and not c mus
Gle seemed to indicate either emotion
or fear.
The present King is more mercifdl
than his predecessors were. He is
endeavOFing to reduce the fearful sac
rifiees of human life entailed upon
him on his accession TO the throne by
the Customs of the country.
He generously spares the lives Of
half the number of victims intended
for sacrifice. No women are ever
killed for sacrifice, although they, like
the men, are brought out on the heads
of the Amazons, to be carried around
the courtyard.