The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-24


lion The quantity of gold raised In
New South Wales up to the end of 1898
was 1t,421, 544 ounces, valued at over
Sac, 1000 Fortunately for the pros
perity of the colonial gold-mining in
dustry, the various mining companies
are not over-capitalized, consequently
the profits, as a rule, are large and toll
erably certain-John Plummer's Aus
tralian Correspondence.
A VISIT TO THE KING OF BENIN.
The number of Europeans who have
visited the city of Benin can be counted
on the fingers, 1t has been my good
fortune to be one of them; and my
journey, made in December, 1889, may
rot be without interest. King Adola
died some eighteen months before my
expedition, and his successor, Obbah,
or AduboWa, after sending four nun
dred slaves to accompany his father to
where he might be located, was then
firmly settled on the throne. On arri-
val at Benin we We're taken to house,
the owner of which was one Ejomun,
second in Importance to the king. .
We were first taken to see an old
chief named Arribo and afterwards to
another chief named Ewagwe. At half
past four we were finally summoned to
see the king. We crossed kind of
common, passed down some streets, and
finally arrived at a courtyard with a
high wall Of red clay. We passed
through a gateway, and found our
selves in a large open court; one end of
which was covered over, and in the GEN.
ter we could distinguish teeth of ivory
springing from heads, as in Ewagwes
house There was a large standard OF
wrought iron supporting basin. This
was really a lamp, used on occasion OF
the kings plays, as they facetiously
call them. when a score or two of hui
man victims are massacred for the
king to make his fathers with" We
were led up to this lamp and told tc
stop The crowd formed lane UP to
respectful distance of the covered shed
In one part of this shed was an ar
rangement of red BAIT like the box OF
rheater. Seated in this we could dimly
see figure in large hat, which we
were told was the king. We took of
our hats and bowed. The messengers
now came down the lane of populace
and informed us that the king sent
greeting; he was glad to see us; had we
been properly treated while in his coun-
try? George, the interpreter, gave us
the hint that the correct method OF sal
utation in this country was to raise the
right hand. Not wishing to appear ILL.,
bred we did so. We replied that We
had been well treated and thanked him
but would like to see his Majesty al
closer quarters.
Being at last informed that the kins
was ready, we were led through a gate.
way into what suppose was his house
| 1t was of the same shape as the othel
Benin houses, only larger and loftier
A number of natives were assembled II
| the first half, or court, but we wert
ushered into second, into the king
presence The scene which met ou
view was weird and bizarre enough t.
be described by Rider Haggard Thu
hall was of considerable size and height
and the roof was open, as usual. Their
was a large well, or bath, in the cente
of the floor to catch the water from tn
roof At first, in the hazy light of TIL
smoky palm-oil cressets, we only no
ticed large hall with people crowdini
round 1t. But, as we looked up tn
length of the hall, we saw the KIM
standing on raised step, with hi
harms supported by members of nj
court. On his right along the hall wer
arranged the personal attendants of hi
household. None of these was Above
to wear so much as a Waist-cloth, blu
all had necklaces of Benin coral an
agate. On the left were the nobility Q
his court their costumes of silk an
cotton skirts padded out to look big
and the upper part of their bodies bare
save for many necklaces of coral an
agate.
In front of the king was "Ju-Ju
altar, composed of some white-lookin
compound, the top studded with nail
like protuberances. In the center
these, and smeared with red. which W
took to be blood but found to be palm
icil, was a human skull, looking ghastl
in the dim light. On our side of the
tar, painted on the floor, was a "Ju-Ju
hieroglyphic, and up to this we wei
led, but told not to go beyond. His Ma
Ejesty was dressed in cloth of gold tir
sci, and covered with coral necklace
He was man of about thirty, with a
intelligent, or, rather, amiable, fac
Certainly, to look at, no one would SUI
pose him capable of slaughtering SCH
hundreds of people as a sacrifice to tt
shades of his father. He was yer
pressing for us to stay in his town, an
said he had many things to show l
land talk about. Finally we consente
to stop over the morrow.
We were taken the next morning
| the court dedicated to the late kin
Terrible horrors must have taken plas
| in the enclosure during the precediil
twelve months. We had heard stori'
from the Jakrimen of hundreds
slaves being caught all over the coul
try, carried up to the capital ar
slaughtered by the king, for the pu
|. pose of what they call making h
father" and also of "chopping king"
| l. e. fulfilling the rites and ceremoni
/, lrequired before a new king is consi'
cred as properly seated on throne.
horrible object close TO the gate was
human being, lately sacrificed, and no
suspended between two trees. Y
asked if he was a criminal, but we
told not at all; he had been killed f
''JuJu." In one corner of the cou
: Twas a deep pit, the mouth of which w
; | covered with slabs of galvanized fro