Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-27
THE AMAzoNs OF pAAoMgY.
female Soldiers Who Are Moro savag,
aud Dangerous Than Men.

female Soldiers Who Are Moro Savage
and Dangerous Than Men.
In 1853 Sir Richard Burton, then Cap.
tain Burton, was sont by Lord Russell on
a mission to Dahumey with presents from
the queen On his return he told his wife
that he had seen enough dreadful sights
to turn his brain. At that time there
were no Europeans at Dnhomey, and the
savagcry Of the king and his people amply
accounted for the fact. Burton's story
Of the mission is full of curious things,
and his widow has done well to republish
the work which would otherwise be dill.
cult Of access. Perhaps the most interest
ing part Of it is that which relates to the
so called amRzons-'w women crueler and
hercer 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 un-
suited 10 the superfluous ladies. He adds,
"At the DahomeyHn court, curious to say,
In Africa women take precedence of men,
yet, with truly Hamnitic contradictions
ness the warehouses; say, we are no longer
females, but malesl' and soldier disgrno.
ing himself Is called, in insult, woman.
1t Is clear, therefore, that they owe their
dignity to the fiction of being royal wives.
Wherever II she suldiery is, celibncy must
be one OF it's rules. "
BurtOn's Hccouut Of these ladies Is very
graphic He says: al saw all these women
troops marching on service out Of Knna.
The officers, distinguished by their white
head cloths and by an esquiress Mt arms,
generally "A small slave girl, carrying the
musket, led their commands. Expected
10 see penthesiieps, Thalestrises, dams
lovely namesl saw old, ugly, square
built frows, trudglng 'grumpily' along,
with the face Of cook after being much
naggcd' by the 'missus' The privates
carried packs on cradles like those OF this
male soldiory, containing their bed mats,
clothes and food for week or fortnight,
mostly toasted grains and bean cake, hot
with peppers.
Cartridge pouches Of two different
shapes were eirt round their waists, and
slung TO their sides were water gourds,
fetch sacks, bullet wallets, powder Gala.
bushes, fans (sic), little cutlasses, wooden
pipe cases Unveloped In leather tobacco
bugs, ilint 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
hAAet HNhANNAhN lNlANs NANlllAulNHNAh VI
white cotton useful as slcs de mutt, UNI.
brellas Of plated palm leaf and low
crowned, broad brimmed homemade straw
hats"
Compared with thia force in "heavy
marching order" we will give Burton s
account OF another detachment in 'review
order" at was now the nmazons turn
TO advance, and they came up In better
style as regards marching and firing than
their brother soldiers They passed US
with 'feu d'enfer, and when the dust
was not flying the smoke hung like pail
upon the ground. These Boldery wore
TUNES Of gray bait, stained brown with
blood aud barks, covering the bosom and
extending to the knees like men, short
drawers and white sashes hanging to the
right"
The same amazon warriors at the an
nuUl games, or "lsing's customs, - which
include great slaughter OF criminals aud
prisoners, nre thus described Fourteen
of the tallest and most staggering, not
including small girl, formed line, and
two mistresses Of the ceremonies, armed
with horse tail chauris, ohnnted and some.
times pranced to give time in rear. Tho
toilet was the pink OF propriety---a vest, a
pague shorter undergrad and Fion
choSoto, or 'pantalettes,' longer than the
male article and extending to the knees.
st. James Gazette