The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16
THE MODERN AMAzoNs.
What Was Witnessed at Reception at tho
Court of q Portuguese Half Breed.
Pail Mall Gazette.

Court of q Portuguese Half-Breed.
Pail Mall Gazette.
DR.. Zoller, who Is acting as special cores
pondent Of the Kolnsche Zeitung, gives an ac-
count of his reception at the Court of the Portu-
gese half breed Juliano de Soma, who in his
semi-royal State of Whydah, rejoices in the
possession OF fully equipped battalion of wo-
men who hight. >"' however for our precon-
more resemblan, corps de ballet than to q
corps d'armee, the deepest impression
which they left Dhe mind of their visitors
was that they would make the fortune of any
them to European audiences. Of Juliana de
Soma himself, who h. bad his son educated IN
an English boardiEgscI. and married by
French priest, DIR. Zoliel >oeaks In high
terms He says: The tall, broad-enssted man,
with dark yellow, almost brown .?lexon,
received us with the amlable politeness # a
pompous aristocrat. He wore long, shirtl 3
cotton garment reaching down to his feet, high
European boots, an embroidered smoking-cap,
and-although he is fetish worshipper--a big
black metal cross Oh his chest When it was
dusk the army of amazons made their entrance
into the vard Enthusiastically attired. and looking
more fantastical still by the glare of torches
which were borne before them. Shortly before
their dance commenced the "Chacha' dis
tributed German beer and Bahia rum among
the audience, which consisted of some 500 spec
tators, many OF whom were accompanied by
thei- tame sheep, which follow their masters
OffereQ
to visitors in Dahomey.
The amazons of Abome, of whom there is at the
most some 5000, are nominaly the wives of tho
King, and as such form body-guard which is
said to be superior to the male soldiers in cour-
age, discipline and loyalty. But although these
amazons accompany the king on ali his wars, /
think they are more for show than for service
Among all the savage and semi savage tribes,
singing and dancing considered as essential
as drilling and drumming among ourselves. 1t
G fupa hot fhn how f,oy, fhofp
early childhood been educated warriors,
dancers. and singers should be as superior to
male soldiers in these accomplishments as
Guards are to the Reserves The amazons of
the 'Cacha, all of whom have served in the
army of Abome. are women between the
ages of eighteen and twenty fve and as
the ''Cacha" does not go to war they are
naturally only kept for show. They have no
separate barracks, but live, like the thirty male
soldiers in different quarters of the town,
whence they called together when they are
wanted. At their first entrance when. march
ing up in long procession they saluted their
lord and master, was astonished at the mill
tary exactness of their movements. Imagine
sixty young women, strong and slender who,
without losing anything of their womanliness,
present decidedly warlike appearance. Amona
Europeans the combination of the woman ant
the warrior could not be imagined; here it is e1
planned by the peculiar formation of the negro
skeleton. The skeletons of negro women-ir
striking contrast to that of the mulattoes-are
strikingly like that of male negroes. The as
sertion is untrue that the female warriors Of
Dahomey have their breasts cut off, like
the NEUROLOGICAL amazons of the
ancient Greeks Their picturesque
uniform might furnish our masters of
the ballet with fresh ideas The fresh young
faces look roguishly from under the white,
brimless yokey-cap, ornamented with black
pictures of animals, such as lizards, birds and
others. The feet are bare; short knickerbockers
Of green, red, or yellow material come down
nearly to the knees. and brght-colored tunic
of striped silk velvet, which leaves only the
neck and arms free, covers the upper part of the
manufacture A broad belt of many colors
heightens the slim appearance of the female
warrior. At the left side of the belt short
sword is fastened, and small cartridge
pocket in front. A scarf of white or light
green silk is worn like a Scotch plaid.
The armament consists of swords, battle axes,
and guns, which latter are put aside during the
dance Quite apart from the effect of combined
dancing and singing, the performances, which
our eyes, were quite in the style of our corps de
ballet, with the only difference that perhaps
other corps de ballet would dance with equal
exactitude. First came q tall and somewhat
elderly woman She was the captain, and as she
entered, the son of the "Chacha" whispered to
me, Just look how well my mother dances"
Then followed, with battle axes uplifted, the
younger officers, and, in their rear, the still
younger troops, now dashing toward US in their
sham fight, now wheeling round, dispensing, and
again uniting And all this with rhythmcai
movements, half warlke, half coquettish, but
never clumsy, the elegant play of the hare round
arms recalling to the mind the limbs of ancient
classical statues