The National tribune., 1892-06-30

| GraVcI
White men who have
penetrated to the Capitals of these savage
| Kingdoms have returned with glowing ac-
counts of their receptions hv the dusky Alex
| audarS and Napolcons They havc seen wild
royalty mt its best when it was stripped of
| all the glittering tinsel Of rank, and when the
| wild King stood forth in his savagery and COM
manded the heals of his subjects to fall into
tho basket for his own pleasure.
Commander Forbes, of the English navy, was
| one of the first white men received by the
ruler of Dahomey in anything like style.
Gezo was the name of the black ruler. and he
was surrounded by an army of Amazons whose
deeds had already startled the world. They
were the flower of GeZo's army, and took part
| in everything, from the smallest reception up
| to the greatest review. When Forbes and his
| party reached q SPOT within short distance of
the Dahoman Capital they halted to array them
selves in their full uniform and to await the
| body guard of carbooceers who were to conduct
| them into the Kings presence.
When the immediate vicinity of the palace
was reached, Boi,-poh, the Governor of the
Capital. received them. This distinguished
| official was clad in a country cloth which
| circled his body, q slouch hat, a necklace of
coral beads, and wore a handsome sword
Forbes was conducted amid the firing of
bunderbusses until the palace was gained,
| where he and his folks were seated on mats to
| await the coming of GeZo
The scenes about the palace were not calcu-
lated to fill tho hearts of the English with feel
| ings OF security, for the building itself was
surrounded by human skulls which grinned at
| the visitors in manner that sent cold chlls
| up and down their spincs. Under a thatchcd
| gateway sat the King surrounded by his wives
and AmaZOnS, the latter armed to the teeth,
one of their weapons being the Dahoman
razor" with which dreadful things they cnt
off the heads of the enemies whom they slew In
battle. Everywhere waved the royal banner,
aud in every instance it was crowned with
skulls.
King Gezo was 48 at the time, but had moth
| ing of the negro features about him. His
beauty was marred by slight squint. His
over dress was robe Of yellow silk slashed
with satin stars and half moons. Mandingo
sandals ard Spanish hat trimmed with gold
lace Gczo was a great monarch, aud had
| hundreds Of wives, but the largest and finest
| looking women in the realm had been taken
for his Amazonian body-guard, and they ap-
pcared to the English real giantesses.
When Gezo asked Forbes 10 drink his health
he rose and touched the glasses of the officers,
and at a given signal his conrtiers held screens
before his face, for the King Of Dahomey must
| not be seen TO eat or drink by any stranger.
The next day Forbes was compelled TO wit
ness the death Of some slaves, who were thrown
from the tower to mob below by whom they
j
the barbarian. Everywhere waved the royal
umbrellas, and beneath each stood giant slave
who held the sunshade over the King or somc
| member of the savage court.
Forbes was glad wien he was permitted by
| this savage Nero 20 turn his face once more
| toward the ships and his followers vowed that
they would neyc- again thrust their heads be-
yond the palace doors Of such royal ruffian.
The King of Abo. III western Africa, is an
other dusky ruler who would initiate GeZo II
he could but, alas, he is too poor to do so. He
was visited orce by Mr.. Bake, the traveller
| who has left behind an amusing description of
| his reception and the personality Of the King
| himself. He found the "royal palace" to be a
low dwelling of mud and thatch with 20. foot
court in the center. This was the abode of
savage royalty. The hut-it little better
except for its dmensions-was surrounded by
verandah on which was set chair for Mr.
| Bake. Presently. with a flourish OF native
| trumpets, in came the monarch of the wild
| domain fianked by his numerous wives. His
various mothers in-law had place in the pro-
| cession. thus showing that the mother law
! in Aboland is a person of some distinction. The
| King himself was gorgeously arrayed. His
| royal robes consisted of woolen nightcap q
white shirt-not very white at the time, we
| opne-and wide, home built pantalOons shaped
| after the prevailing Dutch fashion.
The Kings entrance was the signal for q
chorus of shouts that would have done credit
| TO panjemonum. and The monarch. with his
| hands at his breast, bowed his acknowledge
/ menis While doing SO rather profusely his
crown, which consisted Of a dilapidated stove
| pipe hat worn over the nightcap. fell off. and
| no one dared offer it to His Majesty. 1t was
some time before this incident was counter
acted by another which restored the equi-
librium Of the assembly, and the ceremonies
| proceeded.
Bake told the King that he had come long
distance TO gaze upon him. when the monarch
bowed again, but this time prevented his crown
| from biting the dust the second time by clutch
| ing il without ado and holding it on his head
| The whole affair very ludicrous to Mr..
| Bake ard his party, but they never smiled,
| but maintained a solemn demeanor throughout
| the v hole reception.
In the village of Issapoo also on the west
coast of Africa, tho mighty Browowdi held
| state few years ago. He was the black Alex
ander of the region, and was as cruel as Herod.
| His palace" was an extraordinary habtation
one of the most extraordinary of the hum
dreds that house royalty throughout the world.
| The walls of the palace consisted of boards
placed side by side from the ground. Between
them were creviccs which let in sunlight and
| rain and the roof was little better.
| Here on dirty stool which had been used
by his ancestors sat Brow0wdi in regal state.
His crown was filthy old hat of bamboo leaf
| with monkeys tail pendant from it. When
the King cared to quit his palace to visit his
Prime Minister, whose hut was just across the
| street, all he had to do WAS to pull aside two
| boards and let himself out AS he was quite
| fat, as many of these African rulers are,
he had to pull the boards rather far apart to
accomplish his purpose. There were no win
dows in the palace and no stools beyond the
| one which constituted the throne.
Here this King held court; here he sat
while his subjects bowed the knee and ac-
| knowledged his authority. and the slightest
| nfractions of duty were punished with death.
| When new King is crowned at 1ssopoo there
! is an elaborate but barbaric ceremony at the
close of which the old hat is brought forward
and placed on the new rulers head, and he is
hailed as monarch. "The King is dead, long
live the King!" shout the people, and the
| orgies that accompany the ceremonies wind up
with grand drunk which lasts for days.
Some years ago there was sent out from
Liverpool an iron palace intended for one
| Eyamba, an African King whose good will the
English wanted to secure. 1t was believed
that the monarch would be delighted with the
innovation, aud to please him still further
state carriage was sent out at the same time.
The horses which accompanied the vehicle,
not being acclimated. died soon after reaching
the kingdom, and Eyamba was at loss to
know how to propel the state carriage. The
roads about the Capital were almost impassable
and not level in ths bargain. When the King
desired to take an airing with the carriage 1t
Was dragged over the stones by a lot Of slaves
while he walked behind. it with the royal