Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-04-07

and children IN Lno CiVy 10 very great.
Polygamy is extensively precticed.
The fathers look upon the girl chill
dren as SO much property, OF as SO
much money. They are virtually
slaves from birth, and eventually many
OF them are sold by the dealers in the
slave marts of Morocco.
II is believed that the city OF Benin
contains fabulous amounts of ivory.
For many generations the natives have
been compelled 10 give the reigning
king a certain amount of ivory, and,
as the surrounding country is the
richest in elephants OF any section of
Africa, the accumulation Of tusks is
figured to be immense.
When Captain Galway visited the
kings palace he saw enough to con-
vince him that the ivory of the king
dom was worth millions. The palace
is surrounded by high walls of clay,
and in the inclosure we're numbers OF
shrines of carved tusks, some of them
of prodigious size. Each shrine was
guarded day and night by attendants,
as the average native is not above
stealing from his king, althoug b he
we'll knows that detection means death
in horrible form.
King Obbah has some pieces oi
smooth bore cannon, and the slave
dealers have taught his soldiers how
to manage them. Some OF his soldier
are also armed with old-style rifles.
but the bulk OF them are armed merely
with native weapons. Against the
repid-fre guns which the English vii
bring against them they will be moved
down like grass.
In the campaign against Prempet
tho English won bloodless victory BY
employing pyrotechnics at night. Th'
fireworks scared the natives almost tt
death, and depopulated the capita
CITY of Kumasi in less than half al
hour. King Obbah, however, has ha'
more experience IN modern warfar
than the Ashantee king, and it is to b.
expected he will make more stubborn
fight. 80
To punish King Obbah WILL not b
al easy matter. TO reach the city o
Benin means march OF more the
two hundred miles through on almos
impenetrable country, where the dan
ger of falling into an ambuscade vii
be great. To guard again this rapi
firing guns will be employed nearl
every minute in the march of man
days. Anumber of these'guns will b
kept in the Won of the invading force
and thousands of shots will be fire
through the thick brush to clear it { {
lurking savages. In this way fairl
safe road will be plowed through tn
country for the English.
Among the Benin warriors Gambia
ism is rife. Animal flesh is designate
as coming from dumb, inferior brute
while human flesh is regarded as tt
proper meat for great soldiers. Ii
bodies of enemies killed in battle, eve
ut great distances from the city, al
transported to Benin with much labe
for the purpose of supplying tt
population with On immense feastinl
The warriors est frat, then the ma
children are fed, while the women an
small girls receive the leavings.
During the brief intervals OF peac
when there is scarcity of war prisol
ers. slaves are sacrificed to appease II
sppetites of the king and his leadlI
warriors. The execution ground
Benin is near the kings palace. d
,apitation is the common form OF ex
i sutton, the victims head being place
IN q block, and when it falls OF at tt
? troke of native knife, it rolls into
sit dug for it's reception.