The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-26
AMAzONS IN WAR.
Some Interesting Facts About King
Rehanzin's Female Warriors.


Rehenzin's Female Warriors.
From the Chicago Nelcs Record
"The most warlike and powerful of the
African states will be a thing Of the past be-
fore the end OF another month" This IL
what Col. Dodds wrote to the home govern
ment when reporting the progress he had
made in the campaign against Bahanzin,
King OF Dahomey. The entire civilized
world will hail with delight the downfall of
this blood thirsty savage, whose entire reign
has been marked by the most unheard-of
cruelties. both toward his own subjects and
the neighboring tribes
This war has been brought about by VIC
laion Of pledges on the part Of Bebauzin.
At the close of the war of 1889 France made
q treaty with the king by which, in cOnsid-
GRAFTON OF an annual pension of 20 900
francs, he recognized Frances right along
the coast, and agreed TO stop his raids into
the French protectorate of Porto NoVo, long
the favorite hunting ground of Dahomeyan
rulers for slaves aud victims TO sacrifice in
their horrible fetish rites.
Late last fall the king violated his agree
ment by sending expeditions into Porto
Novo, where they surprised several unsus-
pecting towns and dragged hundreds of
people to Abomey. When the lieutenant
governor Of the French colony protested
the king sent an insolent letter declaring
that he recognized no treaty, that he hal a
right TO Porto Novo because his fathers for
ages had been the suzerains of that
country and that he should continue
his forays If he chose, because all
the region occupied by the French
belonged to him; aud yet as he knew very
WE'LL his father Geleve fourteen years ago
gave up to France ali rights to the port Of
Kotonu, and he himself had recognized the
Il.
bully sent word to the French that If they
touched one of his towns in the interior he
would at once destroy Porto Novo and all
the French posts. He was carried away
with the idea OF his power and the proves
OF his far-famed smazons, and undoubtedly
believed that he could drive the French into
the sea.
King Behanzin is most extraordinary
mixture IF civilization and bnrbarity. The
dominant note in his character Is unlimited
vanity. His younger years were spent il
Paris, where he learned to read French. He
subscrlbes regularly for several Partisan
newspapers which are brought from the
coast by special messengers. When ne first
saw a notice OF himself and his capital In
the Figaro he exhibited almost childish de-
light and danced around the paper contain
ing the news, after which he caused his
amazonian guard to be brought up and
translated this information to them, at the
same time giving orders for the preparation
Of another raid on the French settlement { -
show his contempt and fearleesness Of the
consequences.
In ordinary times the army Of Dahomey
is composed of 5000 amazons and G, 900 to
1000 men warriors. This is the well-drilled
standing army, which Is kept near the CAPT
tai ready to take up arms at a moments
notice. In the present emergency the king
has been compelled to call out all the vaila-
BILE reserves, which gives him some 40 900
amazons and men, all told. AS the popula-
ton OF Dahomey is estimated at more than
200, 900, any or ali of which can be turned
into soldiery by the king, it can be readily
understood that the French will not have
such a small affair on their hands as most
persons imagine.
Tbs most unique features of Dahomey are
its large force of women warriors and its
terrible system of religious sacrifices, in
which hundreds of human victims are
butchered at the capital every year. The
sacriticial festivities take place in the au-
tumn and spring and are called customs"
Last May the French report that not less
than 600 people were butchered in the mar
ket square at Abomey. A large shed,
called the blood house." was erected, in
which the prisoners are confined and
exhibited prior to the butohery. They
are bound TO poles driven in the
ground, and black and white goats are tied
alternately to each victim, who is most fan
tastically arrayed in a peaked cap and short
mantle bedecked with ribbons. A large
patch of scarlet cloth is sewn on his shirt
over the region OF the heart. In addition
to the human beings publicly sacrificed at
the religious ceremonies, the amaZons are
allotted very large number of victims,
which they take to their quarters within
the palace to torture and kill at their pleas
ure. No man is allowed to be present to
inquire TOO inquisitively into their horrible
and peculiar rites.
DAhomey is the only country in the
world which makes women a part of It's
military system. In the year 1923 the king,
hard pressed by enemies, placed q large
number of armed women among his SOL
diers These women acted with such signal
bravery and fought with such abandon and
ferocitv in the battles which brought
victory to Dahomey that they were organ
ized into q permanent regiment.
The flower Of the fair sex is likely to get
into the army as we'll as nearly all the
strong minded women, the viraRcs and the
unfaithful wives. Now and tLen the king
takes a oonsort from bis woman regiment,
but no other man may marry them. They
are known in Dahomey by the names of
"Our Mothers" Tigers of War" and the
"King's Wives They live in the kings
teries. The amazons are sworn to perpetual
celibacy, and at the gate Of their dwellings
a curious fetish is hung, which ia supposed
to insure certain exposure to any amazon
that has broken her vow of celibacy. The
very fear OF this fetish often causes an anna
ION who has gone astray to CONFESS her
sin. There are occasions, however, when
violations of these vows are permitted aud
the moral code is completely relaxed. When
the king sends his amazons rough the
country to enlist men for the army the fair
recruiting agents are permitted to offer any
inducements they please to tempt men into
the ranks. Bhe women are taught that they
are not weak, but strons. Every womanly
sentiment is suppressed and they become
unsexed and uunatlrally ferocious. TIE
recruits are subjected TO very severe drill,
which fortihes them to endurance of all
kinds Of hardships and physical pain. They
ere compelled - sleep outdoors IN all kinds
Of weather, and are beaten, cuffed and
kicked with amazing frequency, but every
thing is submitted 20 without a murmur.
Col. Dodds declares that in all his expe-
RE CO he has never met with such fero-
cious bravery as that exhibited by the
amazons. He says that the amazous are b
far the most formidable or King BehaDzin's
forces. They only fire at close range for
few minutes. then throw away their guns,
and, utterIng terrific screams aud yells,
charge madly against the ranks of tho
enemy, using their large, curiously shaped