River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-02-16
A CRUEL RACE.
Life In Dahomey with King Behanzin and
Hin SubIects.

The Amazons have always sustained
their reputation for bravery; they know
no such thing as fear. From their early
childhood they are subjected to the
most frightful hardships, and in their
drill have to endure tests of physical
endurance to which the strongest men
would succumb. They are Estarved.
beaten and abused in every possible
way, and Systematically trained to dis
regard all torture and pain, no matter
how severe 1t is but natural that
they have developed into the very i'm
carnation of fiendish cruelty.
There is no known spot on earth
where human sacrifice fiourishes to
such frightful extent as it does in
Dahomey. Missionaries are of no use
in this dark spot of Africa. and they
are in a measure to blame for the de-
testation with which the inhabitants
regard them. Referring to a particu-
larry obnoxious missionary named Ber-
naskos, the king of Dahomey said TO n
messenger sent to intercede for the
many people set aside for sacrifice:
you say that your people abhor the
their religion teaches them that this is
a crime. Now. we have God man at
Whydah, and does he set an example
to my people such as l would wish
them TO follow? Does he not drink till
he talks folly? Does he not drink till
he talks foolishness? Does he not
make my people drunk7 Away, want
none of your God people,"
King Behanzin has revived the Gus
toms OF human sacrifice with all the
Unsuitable bloodthirstiness of his grand
father, Getete. A Frenchman says that
a few months ago he was led through
the Nesu temple, where he counted
over twenty men suspended by their
ankles and knees to the crossbeam of a
huge gallows; all were stark naked and
had been mutilated in horrible man
ner, out of respect to the memory of
the kings wives. One morning while
he was in captivity four wretches were
killed because the king had a bad
dream. The Frenchman was present at
the butchery, so that he might be inn
pressed by the kings power. The four
men were led out before the king, who sat
in chair of state embellished by skulls
and jaw-bones from former sacrifices.
A body of Amazons drew mp behind the
victims. The executioner was a per-
feet giant in stature, and was armed
with large, crooked knife made for
such occasions. He had large wooden
trough placed near him; this he pushed
with his foot before the first victim.
Then, bending the man forward, he
deliberately cut his throat, letting the
blood run into the wooden dish. He
then swung the knife, and with a
mighty blow completely severed an
arm. This performance was repeated
with three of the victims. The fourth
must have suffered terribly. He was
struck four times without severing the
vertebra column. The butcher then
put the bloody knife in his mouth. and
wrenched the head from side to
side. trying to screw it off, and
finally having dislocated il, deliberate
ly slashed away the flesh that still con
nected the head with the trunk. A
large Enclosure called the "Zun" is the
place where the headless corpses of the
victims are dragged. There were hun
dreds of human skeletons bleaching in
the sun, and an equal number of
freshly-slaughtered victims Such is
life IN Dahomey.
Many of the laws of the country gre
mere caprices of the king. Here are
some specimens:
No one is allowed to build hut more
than four tiers high.
No one is allowed to marry without
first submitting his intended to the
king. who, il she pleases. keeps her for
himself and enlists her in the Anna
zonian guard.
No Dahomeyan woman is allowed to
leave the country.
No subject must wear shoes or ride in
a hammock.
No one is allowed to sit in chair in
public.
No goods landed at Whydah can be
resnipped.
The entire civilized world will be
grateful to France for Kidding the world
of this brute. Behanzin. as well as of
his unsexed friends the Amazons. Tho
kingdom will be under French protec.
torate as soon as the war is ended -
l..