Year: 1865

The Paris Moniteur publishes let
ter from Whyday, which supplies de-
tails respecting the festival Of human
sacrifices recently held at Abomey,
the capital Of Dahomey, before the
King and in presence of all his Court
and great dignitaries Of State. The
letter says:


The King having announced to the
people that in a short time, to honor
the name Of Agougoro, his ancestor,
and King Gezo, his father, forty pris-
oners belonging to the rebel tribe Of
the Allankas would be inundated on
the market place at Abomey, with the
usual ceremony, three days afterWard
he decided that this barbarous deed
should be accomplished one hour be-
fore sunrise. Many Europeans who
were in town had an audience of the
Monarch, and implOred him to give up
the horrible sacrifice.


The King declared that he could
not suppress the national festival, but
that in consideration for the foreign
ers he consented to reduce the num-
Der of the victims to twelve. On the
eve of the sacrifice he went to a shed,
under which the forty prisoners were
secured to posts. He gave an order
that twenty-eight should be released,
and that they should be taken back to
their prison, and then addressed him
self to the twelve others, in order to
announce to them that next morning,
in expiation of the crimes committed
by the chief Of their tribe, and to sat-
isfy the shade of his father and his
ancestor, they would be deeapitated
before the assembled people. The un-
fortunate men heard the royal speech
with the utmost Indifference. The
King added that two of them would
be executed with his own hand, and
then retired. A short time afterwards
Prince Bocu-Sau, the Kings brother,
announced to them that they had been
selected to be despatched by his broth
er; but, in order to be admitted to
such an honor, it was necessary to
purify their crime-stained bodies, and
that they must pass the night in the
great fetish temple, prostrated before
the idols. On the next day the pris-
Oners were led to the market place,
their hands bound behind their backs.
The King presided at the ceremony,
seated on a large ivory throne, sur
rounded by his court, the great Dig
nitaries of the kingdom and the min
istry. On the center of the place was
a large silver vessel, intended to re-
ceiye the blood of the victims. When
the hour had come, the King advance
ed, took a very thin steel sabre, and
depressed the heads of the two priJ-
oners he was obout to immediate.


These poor wre;ches, on the order given
to them, were placed at the edge Of the
vessel which was about to catch their
blood. At the conclusion of the first eI-
eeution the crowd uttered enthusiastic
shouts of applause for full five minutes,
after which the King resumed his seat
on the throne. The other ten prisoners
we're executed by the great fetish man, or
high priest, who picked up each victims
head and showed it to the people, while
they uttered fsrocious yells. When all
was over the populaee fell upon the bodies
of the unfortunate victims, which they
cut into pieces and then drank their blood.
Tie King retired in great pOmp, and
caused the twelve heads to be fixed on
the walls of his palace. These monstrouS
scenes occur three or four times a year,