THE HORRORS OF DAHOMEY.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7611, 23 July 1890, Page 6

THE HORRORS OF DAHOMEY.

A letter from Paris, giving detaUs of the adventures or I)r Bayol, the Governor of Kotonou, who was imprisoned by the King of .Dahomey, appears in tne Vossiscfie Zeitudg. Dr Bayoi himself was not iUtreateu, but was forced to witness the most horrible executions, and was closely watched night and day by three of the xdost imporean-chiefs. He was forced to be present at the execution of his secre-tary-and his interpreter, and was a spectator cf the sacrifice of, at one time, eighty-four, human beings, and at another of forty-tw;o. „. The victims were bound, "mutilated iii a horrible manner, and then, still alive, hung up by the heels. Then their bodies were opened with large round knives, and the intestines taken out, after which the corpses were thrown into a "place"of skulls," where in forty eight ' hours they were reduced by birds of prey to skeletons. Dr. Bayol was every time compeUed to view each corpse, while the executioners carefully turned the heads of their victims towards him. Upon Oneoccasion he desired to buy off some negroes whom he recognised as from Porto Novo, but the King angrily refused to allow it. Every day ni3 dusky. Majesty danced before the doctor, executing steps and jumps which woiild have been highly entertaining under other circumstances. At these times the King'wore sandals and a sort of Grecian cap on his head, and six Amazons danced with him.

The Amazous Dr. Bayol describes as very fiends. One day the doctor witnessed a spectacle which he will never forget. At a sign from the King 500 Amazons rushed upon a living ox, and tore it into pieces in a few seconds; then each, with apiece of raw flesh in her mouth, inarched off singing, while five of their number- held the slciu and head of their victim aloft in triumph. In festal garments they witnessed from the roofs of the neighooring huts the human sacrifices of the next day, and laughed heartUy. They always appear perfectly resigned, and go quietly to death when their turn comes.