TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 139f! 



girl to be brought to him before marriage, and retains her at his pleasure in the 

 palace. Of Gelele's so-called amazons about two-thirds are said to be maidens — 

 a peculiar body in Africa. The remaining third have been married. Tliat an ele- 

 ment of desperation might not be wanting, women liable to death are " dashed " to 

 the king, and are dnly enlisted. The fighting women are not de facto married to 

 the king ; but it may take place at his discretion. The first person that made 

 the present ruler a father was one of his colonels. The amazons affect male attire, 

 especially when in uniform. There is nothing savage or terrible in tlieir appearance. 

 When young, they are compellod to dance and to take ^iolent exercise, which ren- 

 ders them somewhat lean ; and, as they advance in years, they grow in weight. The 

 soldieresses are not divided into regiments. There are, however, three distinct 

 bodies, as in the male army. The Fanti company takes the centre, and represents 

 the body-gucard. The king generally pays " distinguished strangers " the compli- 

 ment of placing them in command. I had this honom-, but was not thereby enti- 

 tled even to inspect my corps. The Fanti women bind round their hair, which 

 requires scanty confinement, narrow white fiUets, with two rude crocodiles of blue 

 cloth sewn on the band. The other two di^-isions are the wings, right and left. 

 The three corps consist of five arms, under their several officers — namely, 1. The 

 Agbarya, or blunderbuss-women, who may be considered the grenadiers. They are 

 the biggest and strongest of the force, and each is accompanied bv an attendant car- 

 rying ammunition. With these rank tlie carbineers, the bayoneteers, and a com-' 

 pany armed with heavy weapons, and called " Gan' u' nlan," or " Sm'e to kill." 2. 

 The Elephant -hunters, who are held to be the bravest of these women; twenty have 

 been kno^vn to bring down, at one volley, with their rude appliances, seven animals 

 out of a herd. 3. The Nyekplo-hen-to, or women armed with the huge razors, of 

 which an illustration lately appeared in the English papers. 4. The infantry, or 

 line women, forming the staple of the forces ; from them, as in France, the elite is 

 drawn. They are armed with Tower muskets, and are well supplied with ammu- 

 nition. But they " mana3u\Te with precisely the precision of a fiock of sheep," and 

 they are too light to stand a charge of the poorest Eiu-opean troops. Personally they 

 are lean, without much muscle ; they are hard dancers, indefatigable singers, and, 

 though aiiecting a military and swaggering gait, they are rather mild and unas- 

 suming in general appearance. 5. The Go-hen-to, or archeresses, who, in the late 

 king's tmie, were young girls, the parade coi-ps, the pride of the army, and the pink 

 of dancers. Armed with a peculiar bow, a quiver full of light cane-shafts, and a 

 small knife lashed with a lanyard to the wrist, they were distinguished by scanty 

 attire, by a tunic extending to the knee, and by an ivory bracelet on the left arm. 

 Their weapon has sunken in public esteem. Under Gezo's son they are never seen 

 on parade, and, when in the field, they are used as scouts and porters. They also 

 cany the wounded to the rear. The total niunbcr of amazons was 1685. Gelele, 

 the present king,has never been able to bring more than 10,000 troops into the field. 

 His " most illustrious %aragos " are now a mere handful. King Gezo lost the flower 

 of his force, in INIarch 1851, under the walls of Abeokuta, and the loss was never 

 made good. Gelele has lately followed the example of his sire. On Tuesday, 

 Mai-ch 15, 1864, the present king carried out his favomite project, his daily thought 

 and nightly dream— an attack upon Abeokuta, where his father had left fame and 

 honour. The attempt was contemptible in the extreme, and the consequence to 

 Dahome a loss of about 1000 slam and about 2000 captured. Thus Dahome yearly 

 loses prestuje. She is weakened by a traditional policy, by a continual shedding of 

 blood, and by the arbitrary measures of her king, who has resolved to gi-ind "the 

 foes of his subjects for ten years, of which six have elapsed. She is demoralized 

 by an export slave-trade, by frequent failings in law, and by close connexion with 

 Eiu-opeang. As was remarked a dozen years ago by Commander Forbes, Dahome 

 now contains no Dahomans. The gallant old race of which our historians speak 

 has been killed out ; its place has been taken by a mongrel breed of captives. 

 Except the royal blood, which may number 2000 souls, all are of an impure race, 

 and are bondfde slaves to the king. Under these circumstances, it is pleasin"- to 

 remark the gTadual but sui-e advance of El Islam, the perfect cure of the disorders 

 which ride the land. Amongst eight hammock-bearers I foimd two Moslems." 



