The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-05-07
THE DAHOMEY KINGDOM.
A BARBARoUs STATE ON THE WEST
COAST OF AFRICA.
Its Condition is n Standing Outrage
to CivilizatIon-Horribl Massa-
Cres by Female Warriors

The excessive and almost unparalleled
barbarities daily practised in the King
dom of Dahomey are now engaging the
serious attention Of the European powers,
and the different associations for the sup
preston of slavery, in view of bringing
to an end state of things which is a
standing outrage to humanity and civil
ization. Dahomey, as we all know, is
situated on the northwest coast of Africa,
not far from the Niger. 1t has this dis
tinctive character, that it may be consid
cred as Inhabited by an army rather than
by nation. The source of its revenue
is neither agriculture nor any kind of in
dustry, but proceeds absolutely from a
traffic in slaves. II the centre of this
territory stands town, Abomey, where
the King, surrounded by his army, re-
sides, and tyrannizes over 100
600 slaves. Abomey is eight miles in
circumference, and is encircled by a
ditch five feet deep, from which springs
up in one continuous line the thick row
of thorny acacias, which are its only for
ti6cation. 1t is entered by six gates,
profusely studded with human skulls,
blackened by the heat of the sun. There
is no stream within the city, water being
obtained from ponds some distance off;
but the ordinary beverage of the inhabi-
tants is rum; and, in the barbaric orgies
in which they indulge, the blood of their
victims is mixed with it. The leader is
| simply a cruel hunter OF men. At stated
periods he sallies forth at the head of his
| vRl,nro II io ha
ing led. He alone is aware of its desti'
nation: he alone has decided as to which
tribe shall be massacred or made captive
and brought into bondage. Silently, at
break of day, these demons pounce down
on some unoffensive slumbering Africans
and slaughter them in hundreds as they
rush, terror-striken, out of their huts.
| Old people are invariably killed, infants
are tramped to death and young men
and women are made prisoners and bru-
tally yoGed together in chains, being
doomed to life OF slavery or to become
the victims of human sacrifice in a man
ner too terrible to relate. Such are the
principal characteristic pursuits of this
ferocious leader and his army of blood
thirsty savages.
And what a unique and strange army
it is, composed partly of men and partly
| of women. Travellers do not agree as to
the exact proportions Of this heterogene.
| Gus force. Some say there are 1900
men and 5000 women; others speak OF
1900 men and 5000 amazons. How
ever that may be, it is admitted that these
amazons are the elite of the army. They
set the example of barbaric, unrelent.
ing intrepidity. They are noted for theii
savage instincts; q thirst for human blood
and the love of carnage has taken the
| place in their hearts of those tender feel.
ings which are pertinent to feminine pa.
ture. "We are men," they say, 1--WE are
not women"
The costume of the women is strictly
correct. and not devoid of a certain ele.
gance. Their hair is confined in kind
of white net; they wear a corset, close
| fitting, but which leaves the action of the
arms quite free; also skirt made of some
| blue, red, or yellow cotton stuff, which
reaches down to their insteps, and also
wide white band round their waists, and
the ends of which hang down their left
| slbCSs luCl dlt Win AllAS anu o3
bre; and particular mention is made of
kind of scythe with which are armed
| those among them who are designated as
the knowing amazons." 1t is a for.
midable weapon, and in view of its pur.
| pose is said by travellers who have seer
| it to produce a most disagreeable feel.
! ing. The mems costume is composed OF
a tunic, loose trousers and a hemlet,
Having completed their work of devasta,
tion and plunder, not forgetting to sci
fire to the ill fated villages through which
they pass, this invading horde, head
ed by their contingent of amazons,
flushed with the Intoxicating effects of the
carnage in which they have taken
leading part-retraces its steps toward
| Abomey, dragging in its train an entire
tribe of helpless and unsophisticated
! Africans, for the purpose of supplying
the slave trade. 1t will be easily under.
stood how terrible must be the apprehen,
sions of neighboring peaceful tribes il
view of this constantly recurring danger
to which they may be subject at any mo.
ment, entailing, as it often does, un'
limited massacre, lasting sometimes over
a period of three months. The inhab-
itants of Abomey have sort of fetish
like religion; but they have no recog.
nized form of belief. They offer the
sacrifice to the boa, which their priests,
styled feticheros, fed within the limits
of venerated shrine. They also wor.
ship the leopard, and, strange as it may
appear, the tiger is free to roam at will
through the subjected villages, any at.
tempt to kill it being punishable 10y fine
and severer penalties The caiman,
which is equally revered at Abomey, is
not considered quite in the light of an
idol. The real divinity of this pagan
territory is not personihed. The inhab.
itants sacrifice to superstition and fear;
and they offer up in Cancellation to
imaginary enemies the physical suffer
ings of their victims. Surrounding
these shrines, aud suspended in mid-ail
are hundreds of corpses, which would
intallibly engender an epidemic, were il
not for the voracity of the murderou,
birds Of prey which feed on them and
soon pick the bones quite clean They
are the sanitary inspectors Of DahOmey,
and never has hygieuic service been more
efficiently performed. -L2ad9t GDJy.