Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-07-27
WOMEN WHO SHED BLOOD.



The republic of France is at war with
the king of Dahomey, and a French
newspaper says that a battle has been
fought in which eight combatants were
killed and many wounded. Later ON
the Dahomians, who had succeeded in
capturing a number of Frenchmen and
other Europeans, made another attack,
but were finally repulsed with loss of
400 killed
The interesting fact in the dispatch lay
m the last lines: among the dead were
found some of the female warriors of the
king of Dahomey." Who are these am
azons?
Dahomey. now for the fifth time at
war with an European nation. is king
dom of Western Africa, in Guinea, its
limits being inexactly defined. but with
an estimated area of 1000 square miles.
The Dahomians are pagans. and the tiger
rs their principal fetish. They are blood
Thirsty, but hospitable and COURAGEOUS.
Once year the monarch, whose people
approach him By crawling with their
faces in the dust, sprinkles his ancestors
graves with human blood. There is an
annual festival which takes place about
October and lasts several weeks. Dur
ing the Saturnala many human victims
are put 10 death with great barbarity.
AT one stage of these customs the un.
fortunate wretches, chiefly captives taken
IN war, are dressed in white shirts and
long white nightcaps and tied ON baskets.
They are then taken to the top of "a high
platform and paraded ON the heads of
amazons 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 a surg.
ing crowd of natives, and meet with a
horrible death. The skulls are used to
adorn the palace walls, and the kings
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 amazons form the flower of the
army. They are marshaled into regi-
ments, each with its distinctive uniform
and badges. and they take the post of
honor ON the TANKS of the battle line
Their number has been variously 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.
IL woman in Daliomey is found To be-
To her husband she is at once
sent TO military headquarters and en-
rolled among the amazons. II she has
I'm acrd temper, or fails to bear child
rem, or if her husband wants to get rid
sf her. he honors himself by presenting
her to the king. who, if she has the re-
iuisite physical qualifications. turns her
over to his army officers to be drilled as
m amazon.
The garrison of Aghome. the kings
'apital. is composed almost exclusively
II amazons. A rece.t visitor To the
;apital says there were only thirty male
oldiers in the garrison. The amazons
ne also trained To ill the peaceful role
Il ballet girls. One Of the big sights of
Dahoiney Is to see the amazons on gala
lays frantically brandishing their weap-
ms. uttering their war cries and going
through their dances before the sing.
Ii is said that at the death of the king
horrid scene ensues. The wives. after
he most oNtravagant demonstrations of
REF, attack and murder each other. and
emain in AN uproar until order is re-
lored 10y the new sovereign Paris /
etter.