Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07

universal service" lot 1t BIO genuinely
universal: give the women as well as
the men a year of outdoor life and in
tensive training.
Returning to the moot question Of
woman's fighting ability, aside from
sporadic exhibitions with the hatpin,
and a well-known aptitude and tenac-
ity at hair-pulling. her reputation
seems to rest largely upon the numerous
legends OF the fighting Amazons. In
all history and LEGEND. they appear to
DO tho only women. until the Russian
legion OF death was organized. who
bore arms and fought in military
fashion. Their existence, OF course.
mas never been proved. but tho numer-
Gus legends must have had some basis
IN tact, and they nearly all agree in
one point-that tho women were mer-
CHESS and deadly warriors.
Warned OF Women Tribes.
All OF the early Spanish explorers OF
South America encountered these
legends They were warned by tho
peaceful Indians of these tribes OF wo-
men. and wcre strongly advised to go
out OF their way to avoid them. For
al men who came into their midst unin-
'lted were killed, as were also their
male oHsprings. and In the use of arms
tney mad wonderful skill. The In
dians generally added that the woman
hao great deal OF gold and silver and
were very beautiful. These details
Unnamed the ambition Of the Spanlards
hhe priests declared that the women
must Dc found and converted Several
expeditions were sent in search ~ 49,.
put some OF these never returned ana
the rest failed to find the cities ~
Deautitui women. These legends. nev.r-
'heiess. could still be heard in 184s
anu an carly English historian OF Bra.
III sraVcly summed up all the evidence
md
SION that the Amazons were a nv,h
nevertheless. some OF these account,
are sutlciently Northumberland n
'naAo IL very probable that tribes of
women did exist in South America al
,eass temporarily. and did defend
."ensei'es with considerable success
against their enemies one of thsss
more credible accounts s,ate. H
OF inc men OF Il certain tribe were k,,,od
NY their enemies in an ambush IT..
enemy tribe. wishing TO extcrmin,ts
'he other. then attacked tho wome,
uho children in their village. which
as exceptionally we'll fortified. The
LINEN ucicndcd themselves successfuI-
~. however and for a long TIM thara
utter maintained their separ,t. 80,
ehce as tribe. and defeated all comer.
no" these Amazon tribes were pro-
Ia'eo is not clearly explained. but n
speclhcally stated In some OF ths
1AI
'heir male onsprings. ~
FindH Tribe OF Amnxo,.
Ian Niiiiers. French expIore,
ai1eo 10 nave discovered n tribe -,
,Amazons. for the existence ~ wS,.u
re gave very different cxpIanatjon
saio that while the men were a,
war the women were irnprovinr 49,,
minds by the practice OF varioms nc. .'..'
arts. until they were 80 sunerinr 20
.heil hrutalized husbands thar ,hon
"eh' away from them and founded
separate tribe. This tale is some
no" extremely unconvincinE. VilIicra
momever. showed in proof OF his dis
a large Quantity OF gold ana
silver which he claimed to have vot,an
from the women in trade He said
lnese metals were SO little valued hv
me other interior tribes that tho
women mad large Quantities of them
SEEMS 10 be well-estahlished fact
nn, ms canny Frenchman brought
oue large quantities of gold and Sill
yer cnriously wrought, and that h.
LOOK his wealth hack TO France .,,,h
h'n without revealing the source of r.
Ahother peaceful tribe of Amazon.
S iouho o" Diego de Bonilla. Hs
anu ms followers came upon a stock
ade In the jungle made nv n,.n,in
very close together great cedar tr.ss
after making their way into this In.
closure with great difficulty they fonnd
within village Inhabited entirely by
,hoian girls Of unusual beauty. They
Ha'heo mat the daughters OF the ma.
I'VE chiefs spent Their early years I,
,his place under the care OF old women
Cnce year an expedition came bring.
ing young girls. and taking away these
LOT whom husbands had been chosen.
Aiter each OF these visits there was
much waiiing and crashing OF teeth
among those left behind. The girls. n
appears, had recently been vouchsafed
special revelation to the effect that
some white husbands were coming to
them. and the happy Spaniards were
accepted as its fulfllment
While some OF the Amazon legends
may have sprung from this source
there can be little doubt Init that tribes
OF women In South America must AZ
some time have maintained a separate
existence by force of arms. The ANA
|on LEGENDS may be taken as historical
confirmation OF the modern Judgment
that the female of the species is more
deadly than the male"