The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-16
THE AmAzoNs OF DAHoMeY.
FEMALE Soldiers who Are More savage
and Dangerous Than Men.

FEMALE Soldiers who Are More savage
and Dangerous Than Men.
In 1868 Sir Richard Burton, then Cap
tain Burtua, was sent by Lord Russell ON
a mission 90 Dahomey with presents nom
the queen. On his return be told his wife
that he had seen enough dreadful sights
70 turn his brain. AZ that uWe there
Z wcrs no Europeans &C Dahomcy, and the
I savagcry Of the king and his people amply
accounted for tho fact Burton's story
/ Of the mission is fun Of curious things,
| and his widow has done well to repuhlish
/ the work which would otherwise be dill
| cult Of Access. Perhaps the most interest
ing part OF Il Is that which relates 20 the
90 called amazuns-''womcn cruclcr and
Z ferccr than men"
Burton explains their origin as troops
by saying that the state Of Dahomey in
cluded many more women than men, and
that military duties were therefore not uu-
suited O. the superfluous ladies. lie adds:
"At the Dahomeyan court. curious 20 say,
IN Africa women take precedence of men,
yet, with truly Hamnitic contradictions
ness the warehouses; say, we arena longer
females, but msles' and "a soldier disgrac-
ing himself Is called, in insult, a woman
It Is clear, therefore, that they owe their
dignity Co the fiction of being royal wives.
Wherever a she soldiery IS, celihacy must
be one Of its rules. -
Burton's account Of these ladies is very
graphic. He SAYS Il saw all these women
troops marching ON service out Of Kama.
The officers, distinguished by their white
head cloths and by an esquiress at arms,
generally a small slave girl. carrying the
musket, led their commands. l expected
TO see penthesileas Thalestrises, Dianas-
lovely names, / saw old, ugly, square
built frows, trudging 'grumpiiy' along.
with the face of cook after being much
'nagged' by the 'missus. The privatcs
carried packs on cradles like those Of the
male soldiery, containing their bed mats,
clothes and food for week or "a fortnight,
mostly toasted grains and bean cake, hot
with peppers.
Cartridge pouches Of two different
shares were girt round their waists, and
slung 20 their sides were water gourds,
fetch sacks, bullet wallets, powder Gala
bashes, fans (sic), little cutlasses, wooden
pipe cases developed in leather tobacco
bags, flint, steel and finder and lilliputian
stools. with three or four legs, cut out Of
single blocks. Their weapons were slung,
and behind their backs dangled their
hats. scarecrow felts, eXtinguishers Of
white cotton useful as sacs de mutt, um-
uftilas OF hlalAtu PAIN AfuA anu Az"
crowned broad brimmed homemade straw
hats. -
Compared with this force in "heavy
marching order we will give Burton's
account Of another detachment in "review
ORDER IL was now the amazons' turn
TO advance, and they came mp in better
style as regards marching and firing than
their brother soldiers They passed US
with l. 'feu d'enfer, and when the dust
was not flying the smoke hung like pail
upon the ground. These soldiery wore
TUNES Of gray BAIT, stained brown with
blood and banks, covering the bosom and
extending 60 the knees like men, short
drawers and white sashes hanging to the
right.
The same amazon warriors at the an
nual games, or kings customs, which
include a great slaughter Of criminals and
prisoners, are thus described: Fourteen
of the tallest and most staggering, not
including a small girl, formed a line, and
two mistresses of the ceremonies, armed
with horse tail chauris, chanted and some
times pranced TO give time IN rear. The
toilet was the pink Of propriety-a vest, a |
pague, a shorter undergrad and Fion I
chokoto, or 'pantalottes, longer than the I
male article and extending 20 the knees"
st. James Gazette.