The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-30
TIE ARMY OF AMAZoNs OF THN
KING OF DAHOMEY.

tereStlng OF all the African prlnclpallIles'
The military strength is not to be estl-
mated by deducting women and children
from the whole population. The AmazonS
of this corner of the world play very inn
portant part in its military affairs, and II
unfortunately we should be compelled to
go and fetch the powder and shot which
this audacious potentate has pledged him
self to provide for us, King Gelele's female
regiments will form a very interesting
subject of study for the strong minded re-
presentatives of the sex in England and
elsewhere.
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. 1t 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 172S
this monarch received defeat at the hands
of the Eyeos, the implacable enemies OF
his race, and he organized an army OF
Amazons, and by their assistance complete
ly turned the tables on his foes; though
whether the ladies were such vixens, or
the gentlemen too gallant to offer sc>i-
GUS resistance, does not appear. Whether
Agaiah really originated this peculiar
service we cannot say; but the merit OF
bringing it to its highest degree OF per-
fection undoubtedly belongs to Gezu, the
father of the monarch who now seems to
defy British power.
This king died in 1858, and was succeed
ed by Gelele, his son, who still maintains
the force which won for his father such
brilliant victories for many years. In his
hands, however, the force has lost most OF
its power and prestige. Soon after his
accession Gelele led an army to Abeokuta
to avenge the defeat of his father On
this occasion, however, smallpox broke
out and he was compelled to return. In
1864 ne made another attempt, and "a
comparison between Gezu's and Geleles
attacks says Burton, "giyes the measure
of Dahomian decadence. In 1851, the
king assaulted on both sides of the Ogun,
and the distance between the two points
of attack was at least mile. He fought
from morning till night, and was driven
back but one mile to Ado. He fought
again at Ishagga, preventing further pur-
suit, and lost a total of 1,200 soldiers. In
1864 Gelele attacks only on one side of
the river, and he takes to flight in two
hours, after losing $50 men, and he hard
ly kills one of the enemy" In the end
the Dahomians We're utterly routed, and
the finest portion of the Amazonian army
perished For all that, the royal braggart
returned to his capital in triumph, bring
ing with him number of slaves, whom he
had purchased for the purpose of gracing
his entrance into the capital.
The number of the Amazons is some
what dubious. Duncan speaks of review
at Aboine, in which 5000 Of these female
warriors passed in procession before him
Skertehley, writing later says their mum.
Der may possibly be 1000. "They are
divided into three brigades," says the
same traveller, "known as the Kings com.
pany, the Right and Left wings. Each of
these has peculiar head dress by which
it may be known. The Kings brigade
wear the head shaved La turban, anC
bound with narrow fillets, with alligator
of colored cloth sewn on them. The Righ
wing have their heads shaven, leaving
only solitary tuft or two, while the Lef
wear the hair au naturelle. Whethe
these fair warriors have any choice O
regiments we are unable to say. In some
parts of the world there would perhap
be some little heart5arning among ladie
who were divided into corps, one of which
was permitted to wearit hair au naturelle
while another was required to shave tn
head. Amazons. however, whose conquest
are supposed to be entirely of the mill
tary order, are perhaps above the trivi
alities of personal adornment.
Celibacy is enjoined upon all but fey
who are found to be essential to the happi
ness of the king or are given in marrag
to few of the most deserving soldiers
Whether Gelele keeps up the same mod
= Of enlistment as his paternal predecesso
! we are unable to say. Gezu used to re
quire every one Of his subjects who ha
daughters above certsin age to presen
them at court upon certain day, and h
personally selected the most promising c
the aristocracy for Amazon otficers-c
= officeresses, as some travellers prefer it.
the girls of the lower orders being drafte
into the rank and file. The dress of thes
female warriors appears to be somewh'
after the MARY Walker" type, with a fe
trifing notifications. "They wear," say
G Duncan, "a blue and white striped cotto