The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-05-22
LAND OF THE AMAZ0NS.
THE HORRIBLE ANNUAL MASSA.
Ores IN DAHOMEY.
How the Army of Female Warriors is
Eecruited--Fetich Worship Domi-
mates Everything.

Dahomey is alleged once to have had
population of S,000,0 900, Its present
population is estimated at 900, 900. The
decrease is due mainly to the enormous
waste of lives in the annual ''grand
ceremonies, which are sort of religious
festival lasting two months, and during
which human sacrifices are offered by the
hundred at once. To aid these horrible
annual massacres in depicting the popula-
zion of the country there has been the
maintenance of the armies of amazons,
numbering, it is alleged, as many as 49,
900 women.
The decrease Of the population has of
late years so reduced the available raw
material for the annual slaughters and for
recruiting the amazons that the Kings of
Dahomey have had to carry their raids
far into the kingdom of Porto Novo to
gather in victims enough. France, being
the "protector' Of Porto Novo, began to
object to these raids, which were inter-
fering seriously with the commercial
value of the kingdom to the French, and
last summer sent NJ. Jean Bayol, the
Lieutenant Governor at Porto Novo, to
Abomey, the capital of Dahomey, to see
King Kondo about the matter. Kondo
is young man who has had the benefit
of an education in France. He had then
just succeeded to his father, Glc-G Gle,
who was as reasonable as any man who
INDUCES in wholesale slaughter for two
months out of every year, and maintains
an army Of amazons, could be expected
to be. Kondo turned ont to be differ
ent sort of fellow. Lieutenant Cover
nor Bayol arrived at Abomey at good
time. The ''grand ceremonies" were
under way, and for the whole two months
of November and December that he was
there he had to witness daily the slaugh-
ter of the victims. He protested in the
name Of his Government against the raids
upon peaceful Porto Novo villages and
the carrying away of the inhabitants for
victims for the massacrcs. For answer
King Kondo beheaded $50 persons be-
fore the Frenchman's eyes. Mr.. Bayops
own life was in danger, or he thought it
was, and he who had come to dictate
terms found himself obliged to do the
treating himself. The King demanded
French recognition of his own sovereign
| ty over Porto Novo and various other
concessions. Mr.. Bayol promised every
thing and succeeded in getting safely out
of the Kings reach and back to Porto
Novo. His Government promptly repu-
dated his promises and prepared to pun
ish King Kondo.
Kondo, however, in February took it
into his head to do some furnishing him
self. He came down with his amazon
army from Abomey and took possession
of Whidah. Most of the whites escaped
but five, including NJ Etienne Bontemps,
a young man thirty-two years old, who
had been at Whidah since 1886 as mana
ger of the trading post and French Con-
sular agent, and Father Dorgere, priest
much beloved in the country, fell into
the hands of the natives and have been
kept prisoners since. They have been
heard of once or twice in enduring great
hardshins, but for some time no word
concerning them has been received, and
it is feared that they have been killed.
From Whidah Kondo and his army
went to Godomey, little further along
the coast toward Kotonou, cutting the
latter port of from communication with
the laainland and threatening to capture
it afS. 1t was reinforced and strength
ened to meet the attack, but Kondo seems
to have preferred to march directly on
Porto Novo, and has appeared within q
short distance of that town and given
battle to the French forces. The battle:
have been fierce and bloody, and hun.
dreds of the Kings warriors, male and
female, are said to have been killed
while the French admit that fifty OF theil
troops have been wounded. Kondo car
better afford to lose five times five hun
dred soldiers than the French can lose
fifty, for the French forces altogether are
not more than q few hundred, not in
Guiding, of course, their native allies,
while the army of Kondo numbers prob
ably 1000 or 5000, and can be increased
to 10, 600, Or even more.
While these events have been taking
place on the coast other forces OF the
King have been marrying the inland por
ton of Porto Novo, devastating vast
extent of rich country, and killing OIL
taking captive thousands of the inhab
itants. Altogether the condition of af-
fairs is such as to make King Totfa. the
able-bodied and intelligent native who
rules over Porto Novo, wonder whether
French protection really protects, and
imagine that he might have worried
along as well by himself.
OF course, the final issue of the affail
will be the defeat of Kondo and hi
amazons, but it will probably take goot
deal more French blood and treasur,
than the French would care to spend OF
brutal native and an army OF women, i
they had any choice about it. 1t cos
England over 81, 600, 900 and many lives
to subdue Ashantee, native kingdom
included in its section of the slave coast
The downfall of King Kondo, if thu
work is at all thoroughly done, will enc
at the same time the supremacy of still
greater power, for, great aad absolute a
is kondo, there is a greater in Oahomey.
For the real ruler Of Dahomey is thu
fetch. Belief in the power of the fetict
is absolute. The King himself, whether
he believes in it or not, must respect it
for death is the penalty for disrespect tc
the fetch. konao's grandfather, Shezo
was skilled by the FETCH because HI
showed disposition to cut down thu
number of victims at the annual sacri
fees. Gle-Gle, his father, very likely
went the same way. Poison is the usua
medium by which the fetch priests con
vey to an offensive monarch an intima
ton that hei is wanted somewhere else.
The fetch is dominant as well in tn,
everyday affairs of life in Dshomey. l
Furnishes with death any cheating o
fraud, and 50 universally are its laws re
spsctel that in the markets of Dahome,
he who has to sell simply leaves his mer
chandise on the ground and goes away
while he who wishes to buy takes wha
ne wishes and leaves in its place the heal
of little shells that represent the value O
i IL