The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-06-08
The King of Dahomey.

a V.
Rev. John Mium, gives most sickening ac-
count of the dreadful practices of the Dahomian
king, Gelele, which fully confirms the state
ments we published some weeks ago concerning
the kings sacr fees. Every year Gelele makes
extensive sacrifices in honor of the memory of
his father, the victims being prisoners of war.
The Dahomlans make wars on the neiehborine
tribes and manage to capture large number of
prisoners The custom last year lasted through
several days, there being slaughter every dav
ana night. Mr.. Mlum was several times sum-
moned to the palace and though he saw no
sacrifices. the evidences of them were unmistaka
bic. On December 31st, after several days had
been occupied with the revolving ceremonies of
the custom" Mr.. Mlum wrote
The yearly custom made by King Gelele
for his father Geo is not yet finished num-
Der OF important matters interfering and call
ing tor the presence of the king to settle. 1t
appears that forty human victims are reserved
10 complete the cermony, twenty men and twenty
women. Eighty persons are to be presented for
sacrifice, but under the guise of mercy. one half
will be liberated Contrary to statements made
oy previous travellers, these human victims are
all prisoners OF war and have committed no
crime; but have simply been unfortunate
enough to be captured whilst defending their
homes against the invading foe. The people,
knowing my opinion upon the subject are re
luctant to furnish me with full information of
all the sacrifices that take place but | am
strongly impressed that they are offered every
day, for every morning / hear the kings crier
crying the great names of the king, and beat
ing MS bell and going through the whole cere.
mony that described in connection with the
poor women sacrificed in the market place, and
soon after heard the tattoo of the drums and
the hrlng OF muskets, which announces that the
cruel deed is done. Moreover the birds never
cease to congregate in the region of the ravine
where the bodies are t'rown. close to the
wretched hut in which I am lodged, and when
ever the wind blows in this direction 1 obtain a
most slckenlng smell of purifying flesh, and l
have but to go outside the walls of. the com
pound to see the gorged vultures and turkey
ouzzards sitting In grim silence in the trees near
the dreadful place on the wing crcling over it.
Fhe victims this year, we'll as the last.
are from Mlkkam large town to the east of
Dahomey, which was invaded and DESTROYED bv
the Dahomians last year, and from which II e
stated by some intelligent natives there were
brought little over seUenteen thousand cnDtiyes
and Seve'a thousand ttOo hundred heads. I give
these numbers as have received them. am
not IN position to verify them only know
that 1T was a very populous town and that ali
the women and children were within the walls
when 1T was attacked by the Dahomian army
ms year the Dahomians sought in vain for a
place to capture, the inhabitants fleeing from
every town upon their approach, viii, accounts
LOT the TACT that the poor Mikkam people have
become the victims this year for sacrifice. I
have no desire to be sensational but should
like the English public to look at the following
facts. King Gelele began to reign about the
year 1888. He, therefore, has been reipning
ABOUT twenty seven years. During that time
ne mas offered, upon very moderate average
t'oo hundred human sacrifices yearlv. It. there
fore, follows that he has murdered since his
reign In cold blood at least FIVE thousand fo,lr
hundTed prisoners Of war. 1fto this be added
the thousands of heads brought home from war
think the present king of Dahomev NAV be
regarded as the greatest murderer living and
what seems such an extraordinary thing IS that
these sacrifices take place within sixty miles
and the towns that are desolated by this cruel
people are mostly within one hundred miles Of
the coast. 1t appears to me that this is an evil
nearly If not quite equal to the slave trade and
calls loudly to the civilized powers for suppress
ION The Dahoman army is now clamorine to
the king to be allowed to 20 to Abeokuta for
their next war If they 90, they NAV not actnal
ly capture the town but they will kidnap mn.
wary travellers, stop all agricultural operations
destroy all the farms, and spread desolat,on ON
every hand. This is what occurs during the
first three or four months of every wear the
harvest months for the farmer.
have but to refer to my detention and the
inconvenience caused me TO prove that the king
dlsregards the terms of treaty made with him in
May, 1877. | believe it would be one of the
greatest acts Of mercy to thousands of poor
down trodden people if the British Government
were to annex the whole coast line between
Quetta and Lagos to the Gold Coast Colony"