The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-06-18
LAND or THE AMAzONS.
THE HORRIBLE ANNUAL MAssA.
CREB IN DAHOMBY.
How the Army OF Female Warriors is
Recruited--Fetich Worship DON'T
mates Everything.

Dahomey is alleged once to have hat
population Of 5000, 600. Its present
population is estimated at 900, 900. Tht
decrease is due mainly TO the enormous
waste of lives in the annual "grand
ceremonies, which are a sort OF religion,
festival lasting two months, and during
which human sacrifices are offered by the
hundred at once To aid these horrible
annual massscres in depicting the popula-
tion Of the country there has been the
maintenance OF the armies OF amazons,
numbering, it is alleged, as many as 10,
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 amagons that the Kings of
Dahomey have had to carry their raids
Z 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
ofan education in France. He had then
just succeedel TO his father, Glc-Gle,
who was as reasonable as any man who
Sindulges in wholesale slaughter for two
months out OF every year, and maintains
an army of amazons, could be expected
to be. Kondo turned out to be differ
ent sort Of n 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 2S0 persons be-
fore the Frenchman's eyes. Mr.. Bayol's
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
lish 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 1885 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 grea,
hardships, 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 mainland and threatening to capture
1t also. 1t was reinforced and strength
'ened to meet the attack, but Kondo seem,
to have preferred to march directly on
Porto Novo, and has appeared within {
short distance Of that town and given
battle to the French forces The battles
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 can
better afford to lose five times five hun
dred soldiers than the French can lose
fifty, for the French forces althgetherare
not more than a few hundred, not in
Guiding, of course, their native allies,
while the army of Kondo numbers prob.
ably 1000 or 5000, aud can be increased
Ito, 10, 900, or even more.
While these events have been taking
place on the coast other forces of the
King have been harrying the inland por-
tion of Porto Noyo, devastating a vast
extent of rich country, and killing OF
taking captive thousands of the inhab-
itants. Altogether the condition of af-
fairs is such as to make King Toffa. 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 affair
will be the defeat of Kondo and his
Rmazons, but it will probably take good
deal more French blood and treasure
than the French would care to spend on
brutal native and an army of women, il
they had any choice about it, 1t cost
England over 81, 900, 900 and many lives
TO subdue Ashantee, a native kingdom
included in its section of the slave coast.
The downfall of King Kondo, if the
work is at all thoroughly done, will end
at the same time the supremacy of still
greater power, for, great and absolute as
is Kondo, there is greater in Dahomey.
For the real ruler of Dahomey is the
fetch. Belief in the power of the fetch
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. Kondo's grandfather, Shezo,
was "killed by the fetch" because he
showed a disposition to cut down the
number of victims at the annual sacri.
fees. Gle-Gle, his father, very likely
went the same way Poison is the usua
l.. 4. ~ & a. L 2