The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-22
DAHOMEYWANTS WAR
Prospect of a Bloody Struggle
With the French.
THE BLACKS DIGGING TRENCHES.
Englishman Arrested - . Spy and Inn
prisoned with Ravacho1
and Anastuy.

PARIS. April 2i.-The cabinet decided
upon extensive operations in Dahomey
under the guidance of the minister of
marine. La France today accused Eng
land of encouraging King Behanzin to re-
sist the French. The Dahoman force near
Kotonu are building intrenchments and
making a road for the purpose of bringing
supplies from the interior. A gunboat has
arrived there to protect the town. The
newspapers demand the complete subju-
cation of Dahomey. and it is judged from
the tone of the articles that they desire
French protectorate to be established.
Those acquainted with the Dahomans and
the country know that to completely sui
due Dahomey will be an expensive under
taking, both to life and money.
1.-THE history of the connection Of France with
Dahomey Is a curious one. About fifty years
ago it occurred To a small dealer of Marseilles
TO send out TO this coast a quantity OF cotton
goods and articles OF coiored glass; which were
exchanged there for products of the country.
By dint Of his cowries, N. Regis in a short time
was able to establish several factories. Other
Marseilles houses followed his example, and
France then established her authority over the
entire coast line, though she had long had
protectorats over Porto Novo. Porto Novo is a
petty native state which was established at the
beginning Of the eighteenth century by the
King Of Alada, and was called Little Ardra,
but now known to the natives as Ajashey. The
state has coast line of twenty-four
miles, aud has an area of go square miles, and
has population of $4,000. In 1861 the English
bombarded Kotonu, the seaport OF the state,
which lies in the south western part, on the
channel where the navigabe arteries of Lake
Fo1whe converge. In 1868 the king OF Porto
Novo placed himself under the protectorate of
France, which occupied the country for a short
period, then abandoned IL and finally re-occu-
pied 1t in 1882 The state has q strange adminis-
tratioD, as ii has two sovereigns, reigning by
night and day alternately. The Dahomans are
OF the Eve group, being the most powerful OF
this branch, and known as the Fous, and they
founded the kingdom Of Dahomey in tho first
half OF the seventeenth century. They are
noted for great intelligence, and are
quick to acquire foreign languages. Their
cranial capacity ia said to be in the first
rank among the human races OF the earth. The
power Of the king is absolute and limitess. He
Is the master His army OF amazons are COM
manded by the queen and her sons alone are
royal princes Some of the kings harem are
state dignitaries The amazons rival The male
soldiers in prowess and cruelty. Their war
dances are performed with the trained precision
OF ballet dancers. Until recently cannibalism
was practiced by the Dahomans. They believe
in immortality and do not fear death, and when
King wishes to converse with an ancestor in
the spirit world he simply sends one of his SUBJ
jeets to him by the route of death. The royal
palace in Porto Novo is approached by fetch
gate embellished with rude sculptures of
guardian deities, and until within recent years
was surrounded by decapitsted bodies and
festoons Of human skulls. When the slave trade
hourished In Dahomey, from 10000 to 5000
slaves were annually transported from whydah,
the important trading town on the border Of
Do