Connecticut western news., 1876-07-14
FIERCE WOMEN SOLDIERS.
Tho Army of AmRzOns of the King of Da- h0mey.-HOw AGniah Turned the Tables on his Foes-.The AmnEOnians Routed.

Tho Army of Amnzons of the King of Da- homey--HOw AEniah Turned the Tables on his Foes-.The AmaKonians Routed.
 The kingdom of Dahomey is in some respects one of the most curious and in- teresting of all the African principai ties. The military strength is not to be estimated by deducting women and chil dren from the whole population. The Amazons of this corner of the world play very important part in it's mili- tary affairs, and if unfortunately we should be compelled to go and fetch the powder and shot which this audacious potentate has pledged himself to provide for us, King Gelele's female regiments will form very interesting subject of study for the strong minded representa- tives of the sex in England and else where.
 The precise period when ladies first took to soldering in Dahomey appears to be involved in some obscurity. The present monarch is the ninth since the founding of the kingdom in 1925. It appears to have been Agajah, the fourth king, who raised from the women of his palace the first female army of which we have any knowledge. Skertchley says that in 1728 this monarch received de- feat at the hands of the Eyeos, the i'm placable enemies of his race, and he or ganized an army of AmaKons, and by their assistance completely turned the tables on his foes; though whether the ladies were such vixens, or the gentle men too gallant to offer serious re- sistance, does not appear. Whether Agaiah really originated this peculiar service we cannot say; but the merit of bringing it to it's highest degree of per lection undoubtedly belongs to, Gezu, the father of the monarch who now seems to defy British power.
 The number of the AmaZons is some what dubious. Duncan speaks of re- view at Aboine, in which 8, 900 of these female warriors passed in procession be- fore hina. Skertchley, writing later, says their number may possibly be 1, 900. "They are divided into three brigades," !" says the same traveller, "known as the kings company, the right and left wings. Each of these has peculiar headdress by which it may be known. The kings brigade wear the head shaved c LG turban, and bound with narrow fillets, with alligators of colored cloth sewn on them. The right wing have their heads shaven, leaving only a solitary tuft or two, while the left wear the hair Gu nat4relle. Whether these fair warriors have any choice of regi- ments we are unable to say. In some parts of the world there would perhaps be some little heartburning among ladies who were divided into corps, one of which was permitted to wear the hair au raGturelle, while another was required to shave the head. Amazens, however, whose conquests are supposed to be en. tirely of the military order, are perhaps above the trivialities of personal adorn. ment.
 Ceibacy is enjeined upon all but g few who are found to be essential to the happiness of the king or are given in marriage to few of the most deserving soldiers. Whether Gelele keeps up the same mode of enlistment as his paternal predecessor we ara unable to say. Gezu
 used to require every one of his subjects
 who had daughters above certain age
 to present them at court upon certain
 day, and he personally selected the most promising of the aristocracy for Ana
 zon officers-or oficeresses, as some
 travellers prefer 1.-the girls of the low
 CT orders being drafted into the rank and file. The dress of these female
 warriors appears to be somewhat after
 the Mary Walker type, with few tri
 fling modifcations. "They wear," says
 Duncan [" 8 blue and white striped cot
 ton surtout of stout native manufacture
 without sleeves, leaving freedom for the arms. The skirt or tunic reaches as low as the kilt of the Highlanders. A pail
 of short trousers is worn underneath
 reaching two inches below the knee. By way of illustrating the accom-
 plishments of these active damsels
 Lieut.. Duncan may again be quoted
 "I was conducted" he says, "to . ) space of broken ground, where fourteen days had been occupied in erecting three immense prickly piles of greer bush. These three clumps, or piles, o
 a sort of strong briar or thorn, armed with the most dangerous prickles, wer, placed in line, occupying about fou hundred yards, leaving only narro1 passage between them sufficient merel, : to distinguish each clump appointed t.
 each regiment. These piles were abou
 seventy feet wide and eight high. Upol examining them I could not persuad myself that any human being withou ,, boots or shoes would under any cir i, cumstances attempt to pass over so dan gerous collection of the most efficient
 ly armed plants I had ever seen. Be l, hind these piles already mentioned wer ) large pens at the distance of 300 yards
 fenced with piles seven feet high thickly matted together with stron,
 reeds. Inclosed within were severa hundred slaves belonging to the king. , The Amazons appear on the scene, hal ; with shouldered arms 200 yards iron
 the prickly fortress, and then the wort is given. "A rush was made toward the pile with a speed beyond concep tion, and in less than one minute tn, whole body had passed over this i'm mense pile and had taken the supposed
 town"
 It places the gallantry of the travele in very favorable light to be able t, 7 add that when the proud potentate ask ed whether he thought the same mum r Der of English woman could do tn,
 same, he replied that the ladies of Eng
 land were not soldiers, but that man, of them had individually and volun tariy done things quite as great. ! Parisian Trick,
 IT n