The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-17
The king or Dahomev.

This redoubtable monarch of the Jungle
has extended q by no means automatically
worded invitation to the British nation.
represented by Commodore Hewett, to
''come on" and undergo the process Of anai-
hilation at the hands of his valiant amazons.
The cause of this outburst of interest in
the demolition of effete civilization on the
part of the King of Dahomey has been
the interference of the commander of
the British coast squadron in the
case of an Englishman who has been
imprisoned and maltreated by the savage
and the demand for the liberation and
naturalization of the victim. Forgetful of
the lesson administered by Her Majesty's
troops to his fellow barbarian, Coffee, King
of Ashantee the Dahoman monarch is dis
posed to court similar visit, which, if paid,
will undoubtedly result in the cooling of his
warlike ardor after the contemplation of his
capital, Abomey, in condition considera-
bly, worse off than that of Chicago
when the fire enkindled by Mrs. O'Leary's
COW burned itself out. But the con-
idence that sustains the King of Da-
honey must be based on something
more tangible than that arising from mere
bumptiousness. We will glance at the stu
alton and review the resources of this dusky
challenger of the might of Great Britain.
The Kingdom of Dahomey is located on the
Upper Guinea coast of Africa, and is sur
rounded by other States known as Yoruba,
Egba, Ashantee, and by the Gulf of Benin.
The nearest estimate that can be made
of the population places it between
one hundred and fifty thousand and eight
hundred thousand. The coast is low and
sandy and very difficult for landing, owing
to the prevalence of southwest winds, but
the port of Whydah is sufficiently accessible
to ships to induce the British government to
select it rs the rendezvous of the feet. The
general surface Of the country is q plain, ris-
ing inland to the Kong Mountains. Vast
marshes extend south Of the capital, which
are inundated during the rainy season and
are rendered impossible. The forests are ex-
tremely dense, being similar to those pene-
trated by the Ashantee expedition in its
march on Coomassie. But the most ap-
palling prospect in store for the High
landers and Connaught Rangers in the
event of war is created by tho per-
sonele of the Kings army. His body
guard is composed entirely of women, who
are credited with being unflinchingly brave
and ruthlessly cruel. With a regiment Of
these matrons and bellies of the bush, armed
with flint muskets and clad in uniforms
which have the merit Of being serviceable
during their wearers' natural lives, the King
will advance to meet his enemies, the said
Highlanders and Rangers. We fear we
must leave description of the prospec-
tive battle to the historian of the war.
Then, again, the British troops will have to
storm stockades decorated with the skulls of
the victims of Dahoman cruelty and fanati-
cism. These CHASTITY trophies of war and
religious fervor form the chief ornaments of
town wall and temple, the material being
furnished by the slaughter of slaves and
prisoners Of war. The soldier who goes out
on the expedition against Dahomey may set
down among the possibilities the final i'm
placement of his skull on the palace gate at
Abomey, where, rs a matter of course, it
would get an honorable eminence, the owner
having come on the Kings invitation.
TIE ONO CONVENTION Cincinnati will
be the scene Of excitement to-day, and the
''eyes of Delaware" and the whole country
will be fixed upon the Democratic State
Convention. Ohio is such an important
State in the Presidential campaign. not
only as the central arena of the battle
between the hard money and the in
hation wings Of the democracy, but also
as the first large State to vote in tho fall. It
occupies the same position that Pennsyl-
vania did before her constitution changed
the day Of election from October to Novem-
Der. 1t is also to be remembered that the
influence Of the Ohio inAstionists Last