The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-07-21
Human Sacrifices.

The Wesleyan Missionary at Dahomey, the
Rev. John Milum, gives most sickening &C
count of the dreadful practices of the Daho-
meyan King Gelele, which fully conf rms the
statements published previously concerning
the Kings sacrifices. Every year Gelele makes
extensive sacrifices in honor of the memory OF
his father, the victims being prisoners of war
The Dahomeyans make wars on the neighbor-
ing tribes, and manage to capture a large num-
Der of prisoners. The custom last year lasted
through several days, there being q slaughter
every day and night. Mr.. Milum was several
times summoned to the palace, and though he
saw no sacrifices, the evidences of them were
unmistakable. o. December 81, after several
days had been occupied with the revolving
ceremonies of the CUSTOM" Mr. Milum
wrote: t a III bo
"The yearly custom made by King Gelele
for nis father Geo is not yet finished, num-
Der of important matters interfering and call
ing for the presence of the King to settle. 1t
appears that forty human beings are reserved
to complete the ceremony-twenty men and
twenty women. Eighty persons are to be pre-
sented for sacrifice, but, under the guise of
mercy, one-half will be liberated. Contrary to
statements made by 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 on the sub
ject, are reluctant to furnish me with full in
formation of all the sacrifices that take place.
but am strongly impressed that they are Of
fered every day, for every morning hear the
Kings crier crying the great name of the King
and beating his bell, and going through the
whole ceremony that described in connection
with the poor woman sacrificed in the market
place, and soon after hear the tattoo of the
drums and the firing of muskets, which an
nOunces that the cruel deed is done. Moreover,
the birds never cease to congregate in the
region of the ravine where the bodies are
thrown, close to the wretched hut in which |
am lodged and whenever the wind blows in
this directionI obtain most sickening smell
ofputrifying flesh, and l have but to go out
side the walls of the compound to see the gorg-
ed vultures and turkey buzzards sitting in grim
silence in the trees near the dreadful place or
on the wing circing over it.
"I'hc victims this year, as we'll as the last,
are from Mikkam,a large town to the east of Da-
honey, which was invaded and destroyed Ivy
the Dahomeyans last year, and from which, it
is stated by some intelligent natives, there
were brought a little over II 900 captives and
1900 heads. l give these numbers as have
received them. l am not in a position to verl-
fly them. l only know that it was a very pop
uous town, and that all the women and chill
dren were within the walls when it was at
tackled by the Dahomeyan army. This year
the Dahomeyans sought in vain for place to
capture the Inhabitants fleeing from every
town upon their approach, which accounts for
the fact that the poor Mikkam people have be-
come the victims this year for sacrifice. | 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 1854; he therefore, has been reigning
about twenty years, During that time
he has offered, upon q very moderate average,
200 human sacrifices yearly 1t therefore fol-
lows that he has murdered since his reign, in
cold blood, at least $500 prisoners of war. II
to this be added the thousands of heads brought
home from war, ! think the present King of
Dahomey may be regarded as the greatest
murderer living; and what seems such an ex-
traordinary thing is that these sacrifices take
place within sixty miles, and the towns that
are desolated by this cruel people are mostly
within 10 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 CIV
ilized Powers for suppression, The Dahomey-
an army is now olamoring to the King to be
allowed to go back to Aheokuta for their next
war II they go, they may not actually cap
ture the town, but they will kidnap unwary
travellers, stop all agricultural operations, de
stroy all the farms, and spread desolatlon on
every hand. This is what occurs during the
first three or four months of every year, the
harvest months for the farmer.
II have but to refer to my detention and thu
inconvenience caused me to prove that tht
King disregards the terms of the treaty made
with him in May, 1877 believe it would bs
one of the greatest acts OF mercy to thousands
of poor, down-trodden people if the British
government would annex the whole coas
line between Quota and Lagos to the Cole
Coast Colony