The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-05-31
AMAZONs OF pAIIOMEy.
a Visit to the Portuguese IIalfBrced King who
Has n Battalion or Women In His Army.


Tho Germans, 10 whom Africa as field of colonl-
Zalion IL mine NJ ncNhausibc novelty, have Just
iediscovcrcd the hmazons OF Dahomey These
famous warriors, of whom little has been heard
Tor so many years, have been inspected by DIR. Dol,
Ter, who gives nm account OF his reception at the
S So,. OF lhc rortugncse haiinreed' ,,milano de
Joices In the possession Of fully equipped battalion
OF women who fight Alasi however, for our pre-
conceived notions, the Amazons " lie SOMA have
more resemblance To- n corps dc ballet than to
corps darmce, and the deepest Impression which
they lett on the mind OF their visitors was that they
would make the fortune ~ any cnterprisIng i'm.
nrcssaro who would Introduce thcmto European au-
dlenccs.
or Jnliano dc souza himself, who has had his son
educated In an English boarding school, and married
ny French priest, Dr. Zollcr speaks In high terms:
The tall, broad-chcsed man, with n dark yellow,
almost brown, complexion, received us with the
amiablc poll'cncss OF pompous arsjocrat. lie
WUrr 1 m sn,rtke 1o,ion garent reaching
brodercd smoking cap, andalihough he Is a Fetish
worshippcr-.a big black metal cross on his chest.
Attcr apologizng Tor the remarkable costume which
he had been obliged TO don because OF indisposiiion,
Jullano gave the sign for the beginning of the fes
Invites. The stage for these was the open space IN
front OF Jullano's house, rather rckcty building OF
two stories In the middle OF the village, which was
ied with the upper ten OF Whydah, multitude of
black spectators all of whom pretend to lie OF
European descent. lIut woe to him who, without
being white man. darcs to wear European boots,
or allow himself TO he carried in n hammock, the
European means OF conveyance. Not even the King
would ever dream OF committing 30 objectionable
breach OF African etiquette.
"Whcn II was dusk the army OF amazons made
their entrance into the yard Enthusiastically attired, and
looking more fantastlca sill hy the glare OF the
torches which were borne before them. shortly be-
lore their dance commenced the Chacha distributed
German hcer and Bahia rum among the audience,
which consisted OF some 600 spectators, many of
whom were accompanied by their tame sheep,
which followed their masters like dogs. Rum II the
ordinary beverage offered 10 visitors in Dahomey.
The afnazons OF Abomc, of whom there are at the
most some G,o0o, are nomnally the wives Of the
King, and as such form body guard, which ia said
pllne, and loyalty. But although these amazons ac-
company the King on all his wars, think they are
more for show. than for service. Among all the
are considered rs essential as drilling and drumming
among ourselves. II Ia natural that the ainazons,
having from their earliest childhood been educated
as Warriors dancers, and singers, should he as sr-
perior TO male soldiers In these Accomplishments as
our Guards are TO the reserves.
"Ilie amazons of the Chacha, all Of whom have
served In the army OF Abome, are women between
ne ages Of eighteen , and twenty-five and as the
kept for show. They have separate barracks, but
live, like the thirty male soldiers, In different quar-
ters of the town, whence they are called together
whenever they are wanted. AT their first entrance,
when, marching mp In long procession they saluted
their lord and master, was astonished at the mill
tary exaciitudc OF their movements. Imagine sixty
young women, strong and slender, who, without los
Ing anything OF their wOmanliness, present decid
edly warlike appearance. Among Europeans this
combination OF the woman and the warrior could not
DO Imagined; here Is explained by tine peculiar for
nation Of the negro skeleton The skeletons Of negro
women lin striking contrast to those OF the muat-
oes are srikngly like the skeletons OF male negroes
lne assertion IL untrne that tne female warriors
or Dahomey have their breasts cut of 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 rOgushy from under the white, brjmless
yokey cap, ornamented with black pictures Of ami
mails, such NJ lizards, birds, and others. The feet
are bare; short knickerbockcrs OF green, red, or
yellow maera! come down nearly TO the knees, and
bright-co0red tunc OF striped SILK velvet, which
leaves only the neck an the free, covers the
upper part OF the body, which IL supported by cOrsets
OF native manufacture. 4 broad belt OF many colors
heghtens the slim appearance of the female warrior.
AT the left side OF the belt short sword is fastened
and a small cartridge pocket In 'front.' A scarf OF
white or lght-green SILK is worn like Scotch plaid.
The armament consists of swords, batte-axes, and
guns, which latter are put aside during the dance.
Quite apart from the effect OF combined dancing and
singing, the performances, which went for several
hours uninterrupiedly before eyes, were quite In
the style OF our corps de ballet, with the only differ
ence that perhaps no other corps dc ballet would
dance with equal exactltude.
" FIRST came tall and somewhat elderly woman.
she was the captain, and as she entered the OF
the Chacha whispered to me, Just LOOK how well
my mother dances.' Then followed, with battle
axes npfted, the younger officers and In their rear
the still younger troops, now dashing toward In
their sham fight, now wheeling round. dispensing,
and again uniting. And all this with rythmcai
movements, alf warlike, half coquetsh, but never
calling to the mind the limbs OF ancient classical
statues. All dances which have seen performed
among savage and demi-savage people have been
grotesque, and to certain degree v0luptuous Here
for the first time performance was given which |
wonld have held its own before serious ;esthete"
Contemplating this remarkable feat, and listening
to the strange rythm of the songs of the amazOns,
who, even after q performance OF several hours, |
showed no sign OF fatigue, the delighted Germans
spent the evening, and next morning were invited
to similar dance performed by twelve young ladies
OF the age OF sixteen and seventeen, all of whom the
Chaclia introduced his wives. Their perform |
ance, however, was inferior to that witnessed the
night before The three days festivities, all more
or less OF the same Kind, were concluded by the |
Chacha presenting bull to DIR. ZOller.