The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1893-06-30
SCENE IN DAHoMEY VILLAGE.

there all day long, without change OF
expression on his face and without having
converse with anyone. A slave stands be-
hind him holding an umbrella over his
royal person. He is an embodiment OF
savage dignity and authority. He is like
the oriental monarch of q few square miles
of wild country and a squad of 500 No
mads who used to crawl out of his tent at
dawn, drink calabash of mares milk
and with grand flourish toward the east
exclaim: 81 have broken my fast. Now
sun, you have my permission to shine upon
the world.''
Now the head drummer begins to beat
the skin of his instrument. AT first it is
gentle, rhythmic tapping. AT each sue
cessive tap the blow is trife harder, the
noise little louder. Now another drum
joins in. A brass cymbal takes up the
gradually swelling chorus. Finally all
the instruments are hard at work, and a
wild refrain floats out over the plaisance.
In the center of the floor thirty men and
women, all as black as the ace Of spades,
have been sitting or lying. AS the SO.
called music Starts up one after another
rouses from his slumber or his stupor and
beats time with his body. Finally all are
on their feet, and at a signal from thei1
leader, who wears a hoop-skirt of weeds,
the dance begins. tits more a march than
dance. Forward swing the motley crew.
brandishing their war-clubs and grinning
with their hideous mouths. Then they
fall back again. The music rings out
wilder and wilder. The drums beat louder
and louder. Now the contortions com.
mence. They are neither sensuous mol
graceful. They are simply savage and
hideous. None of the performers enter
more into the spirit of the ogrie than the
Amazons. They shake and twist them.
selves and throw their limbs and bodies
about with utter recklessness They swing
their weapons as if it would delight them
to murder, to carve and to destroy.
Suddenly the music stops, and the ex
hausted dancers throw themselves on the
floor again to rest and sleep for five min.
utes At this juncture it would be well
for visitors to choose the windward side OF
the theater if they wish to remain for the
little air is stirring through the village
and Dahomeyites are Ethiopian.
Not far away is the village of the South
Sea Islanders. Though from the Pacific
instead of Africa they are much like the
Dahomeyites. They have similar huts, g
stage under a big shed, a baby lying ASLEEP
in one of the houses, and the same disre
gard of quantity and fitness in their cloth
ing. Their public dance is much like that
of the Africans. Their women are an i'm
provement over the amazons, however
The South Sea islanders have with them
three Hula girls, who are passably comely
They wear short skirts of sea grass, stud
ded with pieces of glass and other rude
ornaments, and they twine grasses and
flowers in their dark hair. They cultivat.
grace in their dancing, and are not war
like.
North America contributes to the savag,
show, too. Down by the south pond, neal
the Krupp gun exhibit, are the Quacka
Indians from British America. They have
their rude habitations, their totem poles
their hideol.s wooden idols and theil
burntout canoes. They initiate their fel