The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-20
r.e AmAzons OF DAnoMEY
German Corresponoents VISIT
10 the Portuguese HAT
Breed. Juiiano de
SCuIa-

SouEa-
The ralI, broad-chested mar, with a
dark yellow. almost orown. complexion
received Us with the amlabtc p~otltene>s
~ a porpous aristocrat, tie S0re a long.
shirt ike cotton armen reaching down
"a his feet. nigh European toot-, al en-
broidered em kin cap. and, although TIE
j. a Fetish ~wor>hIper. a big black meta
cross on his chest. Alter apotogl zinE Tor
The remarkable costume which he had
been obliged 10 don because OF IndlspoSl-
non Juliano gave the sign for the begin
Ming Of the festivities. The stage for
! these was the open space 10 ir ont OF
| Inliauo house. rather rlckety build
ing of two stories IN the middle OF the
village. which was filed with the upper
ten of Whydah a multitude OF black
speesatorS, all OF whom pretend TO be OF
Europeau descent. Bnt Woe 70 him who
without being a white man dares to
wear European boots or allow himself 70
he carried 10 a hammock, the European
meaps of conveyance Not even MS
Majesty the King would ever dream OF
committing 50 objectionable a breach OF
African etiquette. When il was dusk the
army of Amazons made their entrance
into the yard tantastically attlred and
looking more Enthusiastically still by the
glare of the torches which were borne be-
fore them.
The amazons Of Abome, of whom there
are at the most some SIX thousand, are
nlminally the wives OF the king, and as
such form a body-guard which i SAID 10
be superior to the male soldiers IN cour-
age, discipline and loyalty. But although
these amazons accompany the King on
all his wars, | think they are more for
show than for service. Among ali The
savage and semi-sayage tribes singing and
dancing are considered as essentlal as
drilling and drumming among ourselves.
Ii is natural that the amaZons, having
FROM their earliest childhood been educa
ted as warriors, dancers and singers,
should be as superior to male soldiers ID
these accomplishments as our guards are
to the reserves. The amaZons Of the
= 'Chacha, all Of whom have served 10
the army Of Abome, are women between
=" the ages Of eighteen aud twenty-five aud,
as the Chacha" 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
are called together whenever they art
wanted,
y At their first entrance, when, MARCHING
up 10 a long procession, they saluted then
lord and master, | was aStonl-hed at the
military exactitude of their movements
Imagine sixty young women, strong anC
slender. who, without losing anything o
their ~womanlineSs, present a decided.
warIike appearance. Among European.
this combination Of the woman and II,
warrior could not be imagined, here 1t l
explained by the peculiar formation o
the negro skeleton. The s%keletor OF ne
gro women (in striking contrast to that o
the mulattoes) are strlkingly like thu
skeletons of male negroes. The asser
ton is untrue that the female warriors o
Dahomey have their breasts cut Oft, llk'
the NEUROLOGICAL amaze s of the anclen
Greeks. heir picturesque uniform
night furnish our masters Of the bale
with fresh ideas. The fresh young face
look roguishly from under the white
brImless yokey cap, ornamentcd wit
black pictures of animals, such as lizards
birds and others. The feet are bare
G.. short knickcrbockers Of green, red or yeI
ok low material come down nearly to tn
,e. knees and a bright colored tunic Of striI
tn ed silk or velvet, which leaves only tn
re neck and the arms Tree. covers he uppe
he part OF the body, which is supported b
IS colsets of native manufacture. a broa
he belt of many colors heightens the sir
st appearance Of the female warrior. a
Of the left side of the belt a short sword /
fastened and a small cartridge pocket !
as front. A scarf of white or light gree
lis silk Is worn like a Scotch plaid. The al
he mament consists of swords, battle axe
and guns. which latter are put aside dul
ing the dance.
Quite apart from the effect OF combine
dancing and singing, the performance
a. which went for several hours uninterrul
III, teddy before our eyes, were quite IN til
a style Of our corps de ballet, with the on
let difference that perhaps no other corps d
yet ballet would dance with equal exactitud'
to First came a tall and somewhat elder.
ere woman. She was the captain, and
de. she entered the son Of The "Chacha
he whispered to me, Just look how well N
mother dances Then followed. Wit
on battic-axes uplifted, the younger officer
7 a and in their rear the still younger troop
IN now dashing towards US IN their shar
-he fights, now wheeling round. dlspersini
OF and again uniting. And all this wit
nd rhythmical movements, hall warlkc, ha
ny coquettish, but never clumsy, the elegaI
play of the bare round arms recalling
IL the mind the limbs Of ancient classic
go statues.