The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-09
THE WOMEN OF DAHOMEY
aEMARKABLE FIG aTINa oU ALI
TIES OF FEMALE WARRIORS.

TIES OF FEMALE WARRIORS,
A British Scientists Fine Description.
strong and Handsomely Formed and
Buut for Eard Work-Sworn to Cell
bscy, but They May Become Wives
of the King.
IRON. aoldtatratts's Geographical Magazine.
In Dahomey peace again reigns. France
pavs the king Of that country an annual
sensiou. and be has consented 70 surrender
,is claims to the port Of Koutanon, which
rss the great bone Of contention during
tbs recent troubles. No one can tell how
long the king will leave the French unmo-
Lested.
The French. never faced more valian (
lavegs enemy than these women proved to
be. Time and Ggain they rushed up to the
French entertainments in spite of storm of
kaets. w1ich laid hundreds of their NUM-
Ser los.
The standing army Of Dahomey consists
of two bodIes-a female CORPS called the
Amazons, and who number over 5000, are
known in Dahomey by the title Of 'The
Kings Wives" and a male corps, composed
If the palace guards. court criers and other
officials, and the male adults in Abomey,
the capital.
Up to the reign of GEO, who came to the
throne in 1918. the Amazon force was COM
posed chiefly Of criminals, that is, criminals
In the Dshomey sense Of the word. Wives
detected in infidelity TO their husbands and
termagants and scolds were drafted into its
ranks, and the great majority of the women
given to the king by the provincial chiefs,
that is, sent to him as being worthy of death
for misdemeanors or crimes. were, instead
Of being sacrificed at the annual custom,
made women soldiers.
sTALwARr MAIDRNs PICKED FOR WAR.
Geo, who largely made use of the Anna
IONS to keep his own subjects ia check and
to promote military rivalry, increased and
improved the force. He directed every
bead Of family to send his daughters to
Abomey for inspection. The most stalwart
were enlisted. King Gelole, his successor,
had every girl brought to him before mar
riage 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 hardshlps and privations as well as, IL
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 gen.
orally tall, muscular and broad, and the
men Smooth" full breasted, round.limbed
and efeminate looking.
AMAzoNs MARRY ONLY THE KING.
By state policy the Amazons are oonsid-
ered tue kings wives aud cannot be touched
without danger Of death. They are sworn
TO celbacy, necessary restriction in the
case OF female corps, but the king has the
privilege Of taking any of their number to
wife. A peculiar Vo~sesa, placed over the
palace gate. is supposed to bring certain
maternity to the Amazon who has been
unfaithful to her vow Of chastity, and it is
said that the dread Of impending discovery
mas often led the woman to confess and
doom herself and her lover to death. Nature.
however, will assert itself, and when Capt.
burton visited Abomey $50 Amazons were
found to be approaching maternity and
we're brought to trial. Such offenders are
always put to death in secret within the
palace. with cruelties that are only whis-
pered outside.
In peace one of the duties of the Amazon
Is to escort the palace women when they go
70 the wells outside Abomey to fetch water,
They, in common with the real wives of the
eng, never leave their quarters without
being preceded by bell. which Is signal
Tor the men to leave the road.
WOMEN WHO DARE ANYTHING.
The Amazons are taught to disregard OBJ
stscles, dangers, wounds and death itself:
hence they often display ferocious courage
which carries all before it. Their chief aim
10 battle is to carry off a large mum Der of
prisoners. human heads and jaw bones.
They show utter callousness to human
suffering. They deny all assistance to
wounded prisoners.
reviews or maneuvers OF the Amazons
are held frequently during the annual GUS
tom and are not the playful affairs that they
are IN civilized countries. In a space used
as drill ground there is built a bank of
t6orny cactus bushes about 800 feet long.
~ feet broad and feet high. Beyond and
parallel with this heap is a house represent
ing fort The barefooted female warriors
nave to surmount three times the heap of
tnorns which represent the Notifications.
descend into the clear space like ditch.
escaIade the house. which represents cita-
del bristling with defenses, and take the
town simulated by the hut. They are to be
%lce repulsed by the enemy, but at the
MIRO assault they are victorious and drag
tne prisoners to the kings feet in token OF
success. The first TO surmount all the OBJ
sIacles receive from his hand the reward of
bravery, for, says the king, 1--WE reckon
military valor as the first Of the virtues"
4, The king places himself at the head of
tne column, harangues his women soldiers,
ihnames them, and at given signal they
throw themselves with the utmost fury
upon the bank Of thorns which torture their
NAKED feet. At the first assault, when the
most intrepid had already gained the sum-
NIT OF the house, saw a woman soldier,
VINO was at one of the ends, fall to the
ground from a hf0hf ~ txta
was wrlnging her hands and remained
seated, though her comrades were trying to
Ieanimate her courage. when the king him
SSH came up and threw at her a glance and
ny OF Indignation She sprang up then as
electrified, continued the maneuvers and
carried off the first prize It is impossible
MgtVe an idea of the scene.