The San Francisco call., 1899-06-18
A CITY's NARROW ESCAPE.
100000 People Thought the Dahom-
ians Were Going to Kill Them.


Few books have been written about
9oruba, on the Gulf of Guinea, West
Africa. There is no part of Africa, eX-
cepting the Nile Valley, which is 50
densely populated, and yet this country
near the sea was hardly known to
White men few years ago. This fact
gives all the greater interest to Mis-
sioBary Stones book, In Africa For
est and jungle, just published by the
f. H. Revell Company in which he de
scribes his six years life among The
Yorubans. He tells the story OF the
narrow escape of AbeOkutd city OF
zoo, 900 inhabitants, from destruction by
the King of Dahomey little While be
fore he was shcrn of his power by the
French.
The King of Dahomey advanced
against that great city with large
army, including several thousand ANA
IONS, female warriors who were moth
ing better than human tigers. Mr..
Stone says that one of their favOrite
amusements was to see which of them
could first get through a high circle of
thorns to Kill helpless prisoner tied to
stake. Though their limbs were
shockingly torn by the thorns, they
thought it excellent sport. One ANA
zOn could offer no greater insult to an
other than to tell her You are nothing
but man." and only the death of one
or the other could settle the difficulty.
They We're past human feeling and
shedding human blood was their chief
delight.
This large army was able, through
favorable circumstances, to advance
within ten miles of Abeokuta without
being detected. \ large forest lies be-
tween Dahomey and Abeokuta. The
thousands of Dahomians had entered
this forest in single hle al many places
and had cut their way through it, step
by step, until they reached Eshagga, a
suburb ten miles from AbeOkuta They
We're a month travelling through the
forest, and during this time were not
permitted to make any noise that would
distinguish them from wild animal. If
any one forgot himself and spoke in an
ordinary voice ne was instantly slain.
Orders to the men We're given in grunts
or barkS like those of monkeys. In this
way they made several miles a day.
and united all their columns just before
coming out of the forest at kIShag agga
A singular custom of the Yorubans
made it easy for them to get into this
pOpulous suburb. When YOrubans go
to war they do not salute any one and
it is a gross insult for any one to salute
them The DahomianS came out on the
road between Eshagga and Abeokuta
about dark. If the King had known it
he might easily have destroyed tn great
city that night, for the YOrubans were
wholly unprepared, and did not suspect
the enemy's presence. But the King
thought it unwise to leave 10000 YOru-
bans in his rear. and therefore deter
mined to destroy Esha@ga that night
and assault AbeOkuta next day. SO his
columns marched toward the suburb
and those who live there thought the
soldiers were YOrubanS on their way to
the war at Ejahway: and as they never
spoke to soldiers on the march they did
not know the fearful blunder they had
made.
The Dahomians quietly filed into the
town and encamped in the market
place, the inhabitants feeling all the
more secure because so many soldiers
had come among them. They retired
to rest, little knowing the sword that
was at their thrOats. Soon after the
doomed city became still the slaughter
began. Nearly 10000 persons We're
killed, only a few hundred being spared
to be taken to Dahomey and there Of
fcred in sacrifice. Everybody else per-
ished except one man, who, though bad
ly wounded, succeeded in reaching Abe
okuta next morning and giving the
alarm. The city was terribly fright
ened but it was found a little later that
the hostile King had abandoned his
original pan anu uOI Il ICdIlDiAlidN y rs
within thirty miles of the city. Ap
-parently he was stated with. the terrible
slaughter at Eshagga and decided to
postpone his attack on the great city
until the following season Then the
attack came, but Abeokuta was ready
to defend herself to the utmost, and the
tyrant of DahOmey was repulsed with
heavy lOss.-New York Sun
Yabsley-What was the coldest weather