New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-04
ALONG THE GOLD COAST.
WHERE THE FRENCH ARE NOW FIGHTING
THE AMAZONS OF DAHOMEY.
CUSTOMS AND sUpERsrTloYs OF THE NATIVES

CUSTOMS AND sUPERsT1TIoYs OF THE NATIVES
RED-PEPPERs AS AN ARTICLE OF DIET
The West Coast Of Africa has the unenvable title NJ
TIE white mans grave at least that part OF IL that
stretches from senesambia to 81. Paul de Loando
After leaving Sierra Leone. really beautiful spot to
look at the steamer hugs the shore for the rest OF its
voyage II Is a monot0nOus view for there is nothing
but long fringe Of sand, backed by dense bush broken
here and there by clump Of cocoanut palms that de-
notes a negro settlement. Further inland one can
make out the giant forest trees, chiefly the ceba or
slk-cotton tree. The Gold Coast Colony has for It's
western boundary the Assume River, and from hero
tho land changes. Small rounded hills give some
variety 10 the scene but still there is the inter-
mnabe lire Of sand, on which the surf IS forever beat
ing. This surf is Of the many drawbacks Of this
part Of Africa With the full sweep Of the Atlantic the
waves dash in with fearful force \ peculiar surfboas
is used 1t Is very broad in the centre. apering 10
fine point each end the ends being built higher than
the rest of the boat. Eight TO ten seated tho
gunwale. with at the stern, who for rudder
uses a strong oar, form the crew. The men use pad
dies. They are fine set Of men, these boatmen some
what seantily dressed you can muscle work
ing they plunge their paddles into the water They
keep time by singing some doggerel song which gen.
orally ends up with Marina, accomaain, accomagin'
Mother, I'm hungry, I'm hungry.
The scenery becomes more unntcresting than ever
after passing Quita. From here the coast Is simply
thin belt Of sand behind which stretch miles Of lagoon,
part Of the delta Of the Niger. \ little west Of Why
dsh that is Badah. the English territory ceases.
and for few miles the shore line belongs 10 Dahomey.
Nowhere Is the surf than here. and another ter
ribe danger is the sharks. From Whydah pain just
broad enough to allow puncheon OF palm oil 10 %
rolled down 10 the seaport has been cut through the
forest TO Abomey the capital Of the kingdom, ABOUT
sixty miles up country. The town would be by no
-, as
belt Of cactus which grows the height OF twenty
and thirty feet 1T KOtonon where the French are AZ
present occupied in beating back the Dahomahs, 'he's
was a few years an English factory oul IL was
abandoned owing to the erocity OF the shaks' tn"'
y,ould attack the men when launching boat A man
only up to his knees in water would be grabbed ana
carried on By tigers Of the sea- Close by Is Porto
Novo a town built on the inner bank of the lsgooh'
This lagoon formerly opened out into the sea- ana INC
small Fren q manoi war La Seine entered anu wen. ~
10 Porto we've While there. however tle sahu sn'e'
ND and cut OH the Frenchman's only retreat mus
further 10 the eastward is Lagos, which Is an 'aho ID
the next lagoon, very large one, which Is ho"e'e'
oman Ia the sea and farsized vessels can cross te oar
and 20 up to this small but busy colony Oh the nr
Lagos taps large proportion OF the Niger tra'e Snu
I'm and about It's streets 10 BE- seen natives rum al
the surrounding countries, Mandineoes, ana men ron
saccatoo, Yorubas, Oy0s, iousSaS' ll'r"' anu '''
sturdy little natives Of the Congo
All these tribes have some peculiar marx tattooe' on
tber faces 10 distinguish them generally gashes on the
check or forehead The Kroo men. the sailors OF "eS'
Africa are DISTINGUISHED by dark line extending TOE
the ton Of the forehead TO the tip OF the nose y
Dshomian /, never seen in Lagos. FIRST OF an inc,
arc the Ishmaels of this part Of the world ana Wouo
yet ,cant grace from any Yoruba' ana secohus' my
would have 70 cross water, which Is against uieH
fetl,hr Most of these tribes are now MohAnineas
, rellron that makes converts III one "eeA !"
Africa than the whole of the Christian Tehe'oNS d,
vear Brit Notwithstanding their ne" iH'n 'ne' 80
cling 10 their old superstitions. curious "s .'
thi, came under the writer's notice I"e'e "p
wars m country and all trade was at s'alusuih -
. ,.l,verr WA, held at Lagos Ia arrange dlhcu'es' "
which mast of the kingles of the SURROUNDING oou,
sent their repre- sentatiyes DURING t'e uooS' -,
from Oyo stated that the men from lIo'l"' " -
To-. ,brorcb the oyo country had thrown "ie'1sh w
| the Land 20 a. to insure poor harvest 80 ane,' 90
| ,,uressed were the men with tins ldea' "'n'" ~
strongly rcpudiaed by the HORNS tha' uie ~
h,cbt II advisable 10 have these latter es'oF'ea "
,,,n na,ive English troops through the oyo county.
The marty after leaving Lagos landed OH Tue So,
! At lkoradu strange Submerged lo'o'' -, >,
! IN he crossed in the Oyo Rhsuon ny -, -,
| w., - ,vere above water. and 1t seemed a ihaAo '
| ~, man could thread his way through '"' "
| h,v,ever padded the dugouts without AL e''
- ,n nearest dry land. In returning rather
| ,-,nr. thing opened. one OF the esC'',' ' ,1 -
,,.r,y leeu all OyO slave ana was 'e'oe',A .s.,Iy
| ,n. r,.rossing this submerged FOREST 'ha' 'N-
| ,, behind one of the trees canoe sno' ou', ~. ~
,a any one could realize what had HAppeneu' -,
I'D Slave was pulled into the boat MS Il"e -
! -. ,,,, tho ducout and in another moment 'ie ~
| 49,, his cautols had vanished behlhd t"e ''''N 80 80,
notond IN, submerged forest, the country wac ~,
amen and this may be said OF the anu, Nsrs groves
| eastward Bontooho. On eN'-' nav. gel, his
W The -acIls vinifera. when ue tf enrce "a
NJ, hi. wine and the palniou thdt - and are covered
pa'm.,ih The MT, erow IN clusters dhu ,le aro
MS "e, ,th thtcE butIcry matter. The ounshe' % 10
mt In boiling water ana the oI., hnt when fresh
mo 'hlel ~ @,,n 10 the kitchen. Formerly t u'
nuts lille hard black things "elc o,;,i. ~ Europe
now s tey are are erhed and the oil every
Each important town has ~ IN, .'' & orhood. Tho
Ian rs armed for AZ any time war may ernSng
here is no knowing when some ue"NN' n,nvarring'
rhe general cause is trespass. OF tho man Of
,'cciIn absuctionD of some woman w e.,no ,car,
another tribe. IL is these perpe'u. - the Dahoul.
,bat make the lorubas easy prey 70 Suddenly
t n" Tbese saynges every year s"oop :. ~, 'bei,
down on some town. and IL h scnds them any
lender mercies No ncighboring trDe sr, r" neigh.
en-" 1,nn The Dahomans attacked their western niny
bors the JuaDins and Asantces. p' ,orsin they re-
bork with captives for their ie'l'I n, attack
Dam Js.imntrd i'm numbers. Inc preselt s.. a.
on Kotonon and Porto Novo VIII s hr t,dlc az MAY,
aor , ' tSe na6omens must only ford river anu Isn
can only be done before tI'o idi.t' >,.,,sa Next
tbe river that separates Dahomey from IN the mean.
le hnvcver will see a raid. unless III t'c ,ry
lime the French have taken poSsestoh Ill, " that Ills
OWL" ~ tbe World Will be much eolonNSg, q
En,ra,rs Nobody ever escapes the ievet nars
Il II does not KILL gets INTO the sy,c anu ,J temper
a, , ,fm,,s he l. always liable Ia return W
ro n large extent the mortality amons ~, az they
- oSins 10 their own imprudence' Ihey eau a. mora
:, , W home and generally drink great uta nm.
rHe natives live chiefly on vegetables, su corn ground
"a made nm into a paste called " fo fo' ,,ha,oysr
n,ch nrized but very little meat Is eaten WINS ar
n,av 10 the meal provided. the hottest oaPS uHebls
| nnnners always form part OF the ieast' a, one
| bapshil is not an excessive NUMBER 10 ca, u ono
! sitting and they are demolished, seeds anu rh
Monasrs what the ncgro's throat Is paved WILL