The Opelousas courier., 1891-03-14
ATROCITIES IN DAHOMEY!
CRUELTTEs PRACTIcED IN AN,
AFRICAN KINGDOM.

Living Men Tied to Crosses by the
wayside-Fate of a Female Dan.
Ger who Made a MEisstep,
M. De Courville, who has just returned
10 Paris from Kotonou, on the African
coast. from the court of the King OF
Dahomey, brings interesting and some
what sensational information in regard
10 the antics of that monarch since the
agreement upon terms of peace with the
French. De Courville reached the CAPT
tai without any white companions and
under the escort of a corps Of Dahomeyans
who had been deputed to safeguard him
by the King. It was shortly after the
terrible expedition against the Egbas,
upon which tribe Bedazin avenged his
defeat at Kotenou, and several thousands
of whom had been driven IS prisoners to
the Dahomey capital. Within about five
miles of Abomey, NJ. De Courville was
shocked by the spectacle of d living man
taed to a cross near the side of the path
pursued by him and his escort. The poor
wretch was alive, but net far from dead.
His face was swollen by the stings of in
sects and his whole body was SCARED by
their bites. The victim was tied tightly
with a rope made of a vine which grows
thickly in the Dahomey forests. The,
rope had sunk deep into the flesh. The
lower portion of the body indicated that
some wild animal had been gnawing at.
it. All the way to Abomey hundreds of
wretches were exposed upon crosses, some
of them dying and others dead. De
Courville, of course, dared not utter a,
word of disgust or pity. His guard told
him that all these were Egbas captured
in the. recent raid and punished in this
way for resisting King Bedazin, who.
claimed to be the lord paramount of the,
Egba' country. In one place where a
cross had stood was an immense python.
The serpent had apparently been making
some effort to swallow the man on the
cross, for the latter was crushed to a
jelly, and the cross lay recumbent and
broken on the ground. But the p~itiless
rope of vine still held the remains to the
timber and the serpent was disappointed
In its meal.
The change from this horrible spec
tacle to the scenes of the capital was
marvellous. Amazons in their uniform
were hurrying about; troops of slaves
escorted men over whose heads were
held golden umbrellas, and whose lower
limbs bore the blue garter, the Dahome-t
yam badge of nobility. All were CON-
Vergins towards a low and large build
Ing in the centre of the town whose
whitened walls contrasted with the pal
aces of cane and hardened mud surround
Ing it, and in which dwelt The a~ristoc-i
racy of Dahomey. The low Hlilding was
the residence of ROYALTY: N& more than
twelve feet in height and constructed of
sand brick plastered over, it was never
theless extensive and commodious, being
quadrangular in form and extending
about two hundred feet on each side, in:
closing an ample courtyard. De Cour-,
vile was escorted into the courtyard
and there, he says, he met a sight the,
grotesqueness of which will haunt him
as long as he lives. On q chair, or throne
covered with lions skin and shaded by!
an umbrella of gold and silver sat Beda..
gin, the chair being on q platform raised
about two feet above the level of the |
yard. On each side of the throne stood!
q powerful Amazon carrying a short,
heavy sword with a bright, keen edge.
About the King were ranged a score OF
more of his chieftains. On the opposite
side of the yard was another platform
raised at least three feet. Along the
edge of this platform were limitations of
lamp shades or ~refectors, as If same one
had tried to devise a theatrical stage as
closely as possible under the circumstan-,
ces. On the stage twenty women were
and dancing.
The King received De Courville as an
old friend and caused a stool to be
brought for him to sit down on. The
had hardly been seated when
one Of the dancers made a misstep. The
King was swift to notice it. He said
nothing, but with his hand made a pecu-
liar sign to the Amazons. The two
ruards strobe swiftly to the stage. They.
Seemed to know by instinct who was in
Selling a young, he.looking
woman among the dancers, they dragged
her, from the platform and before she
utter a shrek she was beheaded,
The head rolling almost to the feet of the,
King. The dancing went on just as il
had occurred, the remaining
mo- daring Yen to notice the fate
Of their companion.
NJ. De Corville brought home much
useful information of the habits and GUS
IONS of this savage people. When a girl,
Or young woman, reaches the q of
aighteen she is eligible for matrimony on
,ertain conditions. Of course she must,
ind some n willing to marry her; but
Dahomey this is a matter for female
than male selection. The woman
proposes through her. parents. They do
lot choose for her, d opportunities are
given for the young people to meet, and
rot frequently the intended husband is
AIKEN informally into the household of
he prospective father-ia-law for q trial.
{ he is adjudged qualified then applica-
ion is made to the chief of the district
or permission to marry. If the King
loes not care for the woman, the chief
take her himself; but, if, as in the
'reat majority of instances, neither King
lor chief cares to stand in the way, then /,
he couple are married. !,
Women rule the household, the Amaze !
onian principle extending into all tn
letails OF life. Many of the kings ANA.
oas are married women, the marriages. !,