The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-08
Remarkable Fighting Qualities Of
tho Famous Warriors Who
Wear Short Skirts.
Strongly and Handsomely Formed
and Built for Very Hard
Work.
Sworn to Celibncy, They May Neserth sless
Become tbs Wives Of their King
and Ruler.

paws the king Of that country an annu
pension, and he has 60 nssnted to aurrsnde
his claims TO tho port OF koutanon, which
was the great bone of contention during
the recent troubles. Ne one can tell how
long the king will leavs the French un,
molested. saws q writer in Goldthwaits'i
Geographical Magazine.
The French never faced a more valiant
savage enemy than these women proved &c
be. Time and again tksy rushed up to tbs
French entrsnchments in spite OF . storm
of bullets which laid hundreds of their
number low.
The standing army OF Dahomey consists
of two bodies-a female corps called tbs
Amazons. md who number over 5000. are
known in Dahomey by the title OF 1.-The
Kings Wivea,'' and q male corps, oom-
posed Of tho palace guards, court criers and
other officials, and the male adults Ia
Abomey, the capital.
Up to the reign of Gezo, who came to the
throne in 1918, the Amazon force was COM
posed chiefly Of criminals, that il. criminals
in the Dahomcy sense Of the word. Wives
detected in infidelity to their husbands and
termagsnts and scolda were drafted into it's
ranks, and the great majority Of the women
given to the king BY the provincial chisfs,
that is, rent 70 him as being worthy OF
doath for misdemeanors or crimes, were, in
stead Of being sacrificed at tbs annualc Gus
tom, made women soldiers.
GEO, who largely mads use Of the ANA
IONS to keep his own subjects in check and
to promote military rivalry, increased and
improved the force. He directed every
head Of a family to send his daughters to
Abcmey for inspection. The most stalwart
wers enlisted. King Galole, his successor,
had every girl brought tn him before MARI.
ace and enrolled those who pleased him..
The women Of Dahomey, having for
many generations past endured all the toll
and performed all the hard labor Of the
country, have, for the weaker sex, an ex-
ceptional physique, which enables them to
bear %hardships and privations as we'll as, if
not better than the men, and this no doubt
was an important factor IN the causes
which led to the formation of the corps.
As Capt. Burton noted, the women are gon-
erally tall, muscular and broad, and the
men tssmooth, full breasted, round llmbed
and effsminate looking"
BY state policy the Amazons are consid-
cred the kings wives and cannot be touched
without danger Of death. They are sworn
w UlAbASg y SS61e N W"S 80 49,
case OF q female corps, but the king has tho
privilege Of taking any Of their number to
wife. A peculiar Vo-Besa. placed over the
palace gate, il supposed to bring certain
maternity to the Amazon who has been an
faithful to her VOW Of chastity, ana IT is
said that the dread Of impending dis
covery has often led She woman to
confess and doom herself and her lover to
death. Nature, however, will assert itself,
and when Captain Burton visited Abomsy
$50 Amazons were found to DO approaching
maternity and were brought to trial. Such
offenders are always put to death in secret
within the palace, with etueltles that are
only whispered outside.
In peace enc of the duties of the Amazon
is to eEcort the palace women when they go
to the wells outside Abomey to fetch water.
They, in common with the real wives Of
the King, never leave their quarters with
out being preceded by Il bell, which Is u
signal for the men to leave the road,
The Amazona are taught to disregard OBJ
~Gtaclss, dangers, wounds and death itself;
hence they often display a ferocioua cour-
age which carries all before it. Their chief
aim in battle is to carry off q large number
of prisoners, human heads and jaw bones,
They show utter callousness to human suf-
fering. They deny all assistance to wounded
prisoners.
Reviews of maneuvers of the Amazons
ara held frequently during the annual Gus
tom and are not the playful affairs that
they are in civilized countries. In a space
used as a drill ground there is built a bank
of thorny cactus bushes about 1900 feet
long, twenty feet broad and seven feet high.
Beyond and parallel with this heap ID a
house representing a fort. Ths b~nrefooted
female warriors have to surmouns three
times the heap of thorns which represent
the Qualifications, descend into the clear
space like q ditch, escalade the house,
which REPRESENTS a citadel bristling with
defenses, and take this town simulated by
tho hut. They are to be twice repulsed by
the enemy, bat at the third assault thew
arc victorious and drag the prisoners to the
kings feet in token of success. The first
to all the obstacles receive from
his hand tho reward of bravery, for. says
the king: W reckon military valor as tho
first of the virtues"
The king places himself ut the head of
the column. harnngues his women soldiers,
inflames them, and at Il given signal they
throw themselves with the utmost Jury MP
on the bank of thorrs which torture their
naked feet. At the first assault. whom the
most intrepid had gained tho summit Of
the house, | saw a woman soldier, who was
at one of the ends, fall to the ground from
Il height Of sixteen feet. She waz wrinoiup
her hands and remained seated, though her
comrades were trying to reanimate her
courage, wnen the king himself came up and
threw at her d glance and cry of lndlgna-
ton. She s;rang up then as if electrified,
continued the maneuverB and carried off
the first prize. 1t is iIr possible to give an
ide. of the scene.
a Leader.