Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-07
xosEs wno srsp $1,000.


Coast II War WIN Piazza
Tte rer,l,lic Of France ID at war with
the king Of Dahouey. and French
newspaper saws that battle has been
fought. in which eight combarants were
killed and many wounded Later on
TIN. pal.onians. who had succeeded IN
cap.uriI.. i number Of Frenchmen and
other Europeans. made another attack,
but we're finailE repulsed with los Of
400 killed
The interesting fact in the dispatch lay
in the last lines: Among the dead were
fatu.l some Of the female warriors Of the
king Of pahoiney. Who are these am
az0,ls:
DahaGley. HOW for the fifth time u
war vi /, 81 European nation, is KING
dom Of western Africa, in Guinea. Its
limits nsaa. inexacsly defined. but with
an es,i &. etl ARA Of 400 square miles.
Ine Dalsoi,.i;iAs are pasins. and the tiger
is their principal fetish. They are blood
thirsty, bat hospitable and courageous
Once year the monarch, whose people
approach him b. crawling with their
faces II the dust. sprinales his ancestors
graves with human blood. There Is an
annual festival which takes place about
October and lasts several weeks Dur
I'M the Saturnalia many human victims
are put to death with great barbarity.
A. one stage Of these customs the I'M
fortunate wretches, chiefly captises taken
Ia war, are dressed in white shirts and
long " hite nightcaps and tied on baskets
They are then taken to the top OF a high
platform and paraded on the heads OF
auazons together with an alligator,
cat and a hawk in similar baskets After
the king has made speech the victims
are hurled down in the midst OF surg
ing cro,yd of natives, and meet with
horrible death. The skulls are used TO
adorn the palace walls, and the king
sleeping chamber is paved with the
heads OF his enemies. The skulls Of the
conquered kings are converted into royal
drinking cups.
About one-fourth of the females are
said to be married to the fetish. many
even before their birth.
The amazous form the flower OF the
army. They are marshaled into re2i-
Inents, each with its distinctive uniform
and badges, and they take the pest OF
honor on the TANKS OF the battle line.
Their number has been yariously estim-
ated at from one To Six thousand. Their
weapons are blunder busses, flint musk
cts. and bows and arrows. They are in
part recruited in remarkable manner.
Ii IA woman in Dahomey is found to be
unfaithful to her husband she is at once
sent TO military headquarters and en-
rolled among the aInazons. Ii she has
all acrld temper, or fails to bear child
zen. or if her husband wants to get rid
If her, he honors himself by presenting
her to the king, who, if she has the re-
uuisite physical qualifications. turns her
over to bis army officers to be drilled as
an amazon.
The garrison of Aghome, the kings
capital, is composed almost exclusively
of anazons. a recent visitor 10 the
capital says there We're only thirty male
soldiers in the garrison. The amazons
are also trained to fill the peaceful role
Of ballet girls One of the big sights of
Dahomey Is to see the ainazous on gaia
days frantically brandishing their weap
OBS, uteiing their war cries and going
through their dances before the King.
Il is said that at the death Of the king
a horrid scene ensues. The wives, after
the most extravagant demonstrations Of
grief. attack and murder each other. and
remain in an uproar until order i, re
stored by the new sovereign. Paris
Letter