Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-03

What q French Traveller Saw In Da-
honey and Porto Nova.


honey and Porto Nova.
M. Paul Mimande has recently paid
a visit TO two dusky potentates ruling,
under French control, In West Africa,
and gives a description OF his expe-
riences in ILLUSTRATION. Aqo-li-Aqbo,
the King of Dahomey, according to the
writer, is a decidedly antipathetic per-
sonage. His majesty is large, stout
negro, with a broad, fiat nose, and n
sly, treacherous expression. On cere-
monial occasions he wears sort OF
toga covered with some spangled ma
terial. This costume, although sutfi-
GENTLY absurd, has the advantage OF
being simple and inexpensive. AGO
li-Aqbo is vain and fond of display;
but unhappily the royal purse is de-
pleted, and he cannot crafty his lux
urious tastes. Too poor TO maintain the
royal stables, he has been obliged TO
abandon driving about in the berlin
which his predecessor enjoyed, and in
his modification hit upon a happy ex-
pedient which Is characteristic. He
caused small vehicle to be built, some
thing like the wagons in which ped
dlers hawk their goods to country fairs
and in deficiency of horses conferred
upon his ministers the honor of drag
ging 1t. The ministers play their part
to perfection; they trot along rapidly a;
at even pace, and, the drive over, re
sumo their posts as the confidential
friends and advisers of their sover
eign. Aqo-li-Aqbo has had the honor,
Nj. Paul Mimande declares, Of realizing
practically for the first time the con
|ception Of the chariot Of state, which
has hitherto been regarded as merely
an abstraction.
The King of DahOmey has 300 wives
and lives in the old palace of Sambod-
il, which formerly witnessed so many
human sacrifices, the very walls only Il
short time ago being garnished with
skulls. He has no longer any power
either to behead or cruelty, and con.
tents himself with smoking, drinking,
and courtship.
Toffa, the King of Porto Nova, is a
much more wealthy and powerful
monarch. Indeed, since Solomon, it Is
a question whether he has had his
peer. Toffa has a full treasury, SOC
wives, and concubines ad libitum, who
never address him save on their knees,
subjects who prostrate themselves NJ
his approach, and children more nu
merous than those of Priam. He is a
man of about 80, black as the ace OF
spades, with small, but keen, piercing
eyes, and Is very subtle and intelli
gent. When he appears in his roya
costume, a splendid robe embroider-
ed with gold, helmet with tufted
plume, his arms loaded with bracelets
and his breasts starred with amulets
he produces an extraordinary and very
contradictory impression-tha of gro
| tesqueness combined with real dignity
Toffa's palace is handsome wooden
structure not unlike the country seat OF
| a well-to-do middle-class Englishman
| A long avenue of trees leads up to it
and the Enclosure in which 1t stands Is
surrounded by a wall, with an immens,
entrance gate, which, for the mos
part, is Hospitality open. 1t is evident
that the King is beloved by his sub
| jects and is in no fear of anarchists
and dynamiters. His manner of re
| ceiving Europeon visitors Is novel
Toffa sits upon his throne in the recep
ton hall, surrounded by his counselo@
and members of the household. The
foreigners are introduced. A bottle o.
champagne is brought, and the tire,
| principal officials of the kingdom come
forward to open it. One takes the bot
tie, the second the corkscrew, and TIT
third the glasses. Their faces ar,
| grave; they feel the responsibility OF
their important Office. When the glass
es are filled the King rises. This |!
| the supreme moment. The courtier
PROSTATE themselves face downward
his majesty clicks his glass with thos,
of his guests, and they drink in silence
| The ceremony over, Toffa resumes hi
seat and strikes the floor with his cane
the signal for the cOurtiers to rise. Oh
hearing 1t they start up, swapping thei
fingers like misunderstanding Opinion
ReAentinno nf m Gvxsnatar