The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-03-19

may not be without interest. King
Adola died some eighteen months be-
lore my expedition and his successor,
)bbah, or Adubowa. after sending 400 |
slaves 20 accompany his father 10 |
wherever he might be located. was then
armly settled on the throne. On ar
rival at Benin we we're taken 10 a
house, the owner OF which was one
Ejomun. second In Importance to the
king. We we're first taken TO
zee an old chief named Arribo and
lfterwRrd another chief named Ewag-
We. At f30 we were finally sum
moned TO see the king. We crossed n
kind OF common. passed down some
streets and finally arrived at a court
yard with a high wall OF red clay. We
passed through a gateway and found
ourselves In large open court. one end
u which was covered over. and In the
ENTER We could distinguish teeth and
IVORY sprlnging from heads. as In
Gwagwe's house There was a large
standard OF wrought iron supporting a
basin. This was really a lamp. used on
occasions OF the kings plays. as they
'acctiously called them. and when
core or two OF human victims are mas
sacred for the king 10 make hls Ia
theirs with" We we're led mp TO this
lamp and told to stop. The crowd
formed a lane up 10 a respectful dis
.ance OF the covered shed In one part
u this shed was an arrangement OF red
BAIT like the box Of a theater. Seated
In this We could dimly see a figure in
a large hat. which We we're told was
the king. We took on our hats and
bowed. The messengers nov came
down the lane OF populace and Informed
rs that the king sent greeting; he was
| glad 20 see as. had We been properly
treated while In his country George.
the interpreter. gave Us the hint that
the correct method Of salutatlon In this
country was 10 raise the RICH, hand
Not wishing 10 appear ill-hred. We did
90. We replied that we had been we'll
treated and thanked him. but would
Ike 20 see his majesty al closer quar-
,crs. Being az last Informed that the
King was ready we were led through a
gateway into what / supposed was his
house. II was OF the same shape "a
he other Benin houses. only larger and
OTTER. A number OF natives assembled
IN the nrst half. or court. but we Werc
ishered into the second into the king
presence. The scene which met OuI
yiew was weird and bizarre enough "a
be- described by Rider Haggard Tn,
hall was OF considerable size and height
and che roof was open, a. usual Their,
was large well. or bath. In the centel
OF the floor TO catch the water from
the roof AZ FIRST In the haEy light o.
the smoky palm-oll eressets. We only
noticed a large hall with people crowd
ing round H. But. as We looked M
the length OF the hall. We saw the kinl
standing on raised step. with hii
arms supported by members OF hi
court. On his right along the hall weru
arranged the personal attendants OF IN
household. None Of these was Above,
TO wear 80 much as walsi-cloth. hu
all had necklaces OF Benin coral an,
agate. on the left we're the nohilit,
of his court. their costumes OF silk an
cotton skirts padded out 90 look bis
and the upper part Of their bodic
bare. save Tor many necklaces OF cora
aud agate. In front OF the king was
"Iu-Ju" altar. composed Of some whit
looking compound. the top studde
with nall-likc protuberances In IN
center Of these. and smeared with re-,
b which We took to be blood. bu, found ,
be palm oil. was a human skull. lool
J ing CHASTITY In the dim light. On ou
side Of the altar. painted on the Zoo
was a "Ju-Iu" hieroglyphlc. and up ,
this We were led. but told no, TO 70 b,
yond. Ills majesty was dressed IN
cloth OF gold tinsel and covered wit
coral necklaces lie was a man
U about 30. with an intelligent, or. rattle
n amlable face. Certainly 20 look al n
. one would suppose him capable
J. slaughterinE some hundreds Of peopl
= az a sacrifice TO the shades Of his I.
a ther. lie vas very pressing for Us
n stay IN his town and said he had mar
q things to show ne and talk about. r
nAlly We consented to stop over n
morrow. We were taken the next NOR
ing 60 the court dedicated 10 the la
h King. Terrible horrors mus, Ia,
u taken place In the Enclosure during a
le preceding twelve months. We Ia
d heard stories from the Iakrlmen
N hundred Of slaves being caught all oy
he the country. carried up 10 the caplt
l. and slaughtered by the king for q
,e purpose OF what they call making
le father" and also Of "chcpplng king
~ I. g.. fulfilling the rites and ceremonl
G. required before a new cling Is conFi
a. ,rcd as properly seated on the throu
e. a horrible object close to the gate vi
In human being. lately sacrificed. al
he now suspended between two trees.
~ asked " be was criminal. but We
~ told not At an. he had been killed Z
IN "lu-lu.' In one corner OF the cou
was a deep pi, the mouth Of Whit
was covered with slabs Of galvanlz
iron. This pit was called Iva" al
= into u were thrown the bodies OF d
victims At present It vas empty. n
- bodies were not lett there altoge;h,
!, but we're removed and burned and q
ashes spread out on the ground In fro
OF the big "Ju-Ju." The fact that '
!. were standing In a gray ash made
:, ask questions that elected this info
. nation. After a time. when sufiicie
victims had been sent 10 keep the de
king company. the pit was closed.
- was only in the court dedicated to I
late king that We saw such pit
y AN sure. said Pat. when a man
=" tired. he niver meets a cart that 10 {