The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-03-05

~ '1d-AIa WIFI MN. r. - II ApAatZ
fellow of about eighteen. as black as
Your boots and with full negro fea-
lures. Re j. intelligent. has bee.l I I'll
Gated IN the schools of AaetiniIu. l..i
has also gone - school her.. tie
speaks French Well and understands IL
few words 81 English. Fl. W. aT1r
SIX years old when lis father vis car
ried away from his kingdom. les t13n
thirteen years ago, and. like II I'll
king, ne desires 70 go back e Ia
honey. lie Is quite dignlfed t1l ras
what might be called an iTnpatIdi .>lt.
He told me that Behanzin had bt4 I'll
ever since he came to Algeria. tf11 tie
weather did not dgree with hifl nor
his four wives. and that they all Want
Cd to 90 either back to Mlrtil.IQue II
his father would die if q chang Wt>
not made. and prophesied his earl,.
death, which has taken place.
Itc King in Exile.
After a few minutes word cante lhat
the king would receive Us. and We
went with Prince OuaIino round tie
NciaGda 10 tho other side Of the
house and were admitted 10 he ~
pcria1 presence. The roorn III ,yil:tl
the eX-king of DahOneS was Ling
opened on the porch, and we tt,ile
right upon him as we entered the DIR.
He rested on : sort of cot, with a
white pillow under his head. Ills
naked black body was covered vita
only a gray-bfue cape, when fell BACK
as he half rose and showed Ms :: III
almoat TO the waist. He had on I ..C.-
ious black velvet cap, covered Win
gold embroidery. The cap fitted lbs
head closely. coming low do"l over
the orchea and covering the ears,
falling almost TO the shoulder; IS
he talked With me he now and then
pulled his gown up, but i kept IalIliS
back, exposing four OF five squaee st"t
of oily black skin. Upon my DrtSSn-
tation he reached out a nakel b'a.l,
arm and shook my hand Whlle ne .'d'
in French, BON jour-
AS we chatted | couij -
two Of his wives who were
waiting upon him. Il 81
these seemed to be undergoing solle
kind of punishment. h was on net
knees, leaning over a char III the oaeh
Of the room, While he other was
ctouched down flat on the floor on the
other side Of the cot from where |
stood. Both were jet black and Of tie
most pronounced negro type. lhell
woody hair chung close to their scalps
i'll small kiEky curls, they had lat
noses, white teeth and each wore great
plugs in her ears. Their black necks'
arms and shoulders were perfectly
bare. their white skirts fitting up close
TO the armpits, where they were tied
bv twisted White bands which were
& -jlN1l ~ StsB
his death had only four wives, q pal
try allowance in comparison with the
DAVIS Of his prime, when he had three
fourthS of the young women OF HI
whole nation to choose from. All OF
the Amaz0ns were at his
and thousands of them were young
cills of eighteen or more years OF age.
The king WAS si~Xty-threc years old 1t
his death and the women ! saw with
hin were. | judge, each forty or 1lftE
~@vY lAr-Z ~ - " ~
children he had. He has left several
little ones here and some in Maftl-
nique. and he had in his family also
several good-sized girls and the grown
prince, Wnom / have described | have
q photograph which is said to include
the whole outfit. but his contains only
twelve.
Tic Would Return TO Dahoncy.
one of my first questions TO the king
was as to his health. He replied that
he vas i'll and that he desired to go
back to Dahomey, his own native
country. He said Algeria was too old
for him and that he could not keep
warm. lie asserted that he was not
DANGEROUS to the French; that his
army was long since d~isbandcd; that
he would make no further wars, ana
that there vas no reason Why he
should not go home.
/ asked the king to tell me what
kind Of q country Dahoney was. tic
replied that it was i beautiful lana,
rich in its resources. ana 7 where
the tropical sun shone all day long.
His eyes lighted up as he spoke Of II,
and it seemed to me | saw his thick
lips culver.
asked him how the people We're
getting on in his absence. He sald
that he did not know that he had been
away thirteen years and that his cap
tors gave him no means Of commune
cation.
/ then referred to the stories which
have been published Of MS Amazons,
and asked him whether those girl
soldiers were as brave as they had
! been painted. At this the kings lips
frightened and methought | could see
the lust of battle come into his bleary
old eyes. He replied that the Anazons
were brave and faithful: but that the
French had o~utnumbered and over
powered them and that now he was
only a captive in the hands of his enc
mics.
told him tina | was a Journalist,
and that | would tell the American
people that I had spoken with him,
and that | could carry a greeting from
Piled: ami tous amis," Friends. we
are all friends" He then reached
out from under the cape his naked
black arm, again exposing his skin to
the VANS, ana SHOOK nanQS with me as
| said good bye.
How King Hchanzin Vas Guarded.
rs | went down the steps upon
leaving, | saw the French white guard
watching me. and | was old that his
majesty was never alone for q moment.
If he drove out With his wives a SOL
der Or Z policeman went With them
to prevent any possible attempt at
escape. His captivity was, in fact.
always before him, and he was warm
cd again and again that he would
surely be rccaptnrcd if he attempted
to Il away. and that although there
were il Algeria many Sudancse ne
grocs as black as himself there was
none like Behanzin. He WAS warned
that the news of his loss would put
the army. the police and the spies on
the search and at the same time his
guards kept him always in sight.
Outside this surveillance the King
was fairly we'll treated by his French
captors. He had Ill his expenses
paid by the government. His villa
was free, his French cooks cost him
49, 2 80 I. - -.