AMAZONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 48, 28 November 1891, Page 643

AMAZONS.

The late prospect of a war between the French Republic and the King of Dahomey revived interest in the famous army of Amazons maintained by the West African monarch, and one of the French travellers and merchants who have lately visited Dahomey supplies a Paris review with some inlet esting particulars concei ning them. The Amazons of Dahomey are an actual corps of women soldiers, and not like so many other Amazons of story, a pure fiction. About twenty-five hundred of them are regularly enrolled in the king’s service, and in one of the recent skirmishes with the representatives of the French influence on the coast, a detachment of them did good service. Two-thirds of the Dahomey Amazons are selected by the king at his pleasure from among the people at the age of about fifteen yeais, and are often taKen from their families quite against their will. The other third is composed for the most part of women who have given some sort of trouble in private life, either as breakers of the law or as refractory wives. Women have not a little authority in Dahomey, and when a husband complains that his wife is abusing this authoiity, scolding him unduly, beating him, or otherwise using him ill, he ieports the matter to the king, who if he chooses, says to the woman in effect:

‘ You have a warlike disposition, it appears 1 Very well ; we will utilize your belligerent talent in the service of the State.’

From that time she is enrolled among the Amazons, and bears either a musket, a great razor, or a bow and arrow — for the Amazons are divided into several corps, each armed in its own way and performing its own service. The ‘ razor company ’ bears a weapon not unlike a razor, but measuring more than a yard and a half from the end of the handle to the tip of the blade. This ‘ razor in time of peace is employed in beheading the countless victims doomed to death by the king. The ‘ company of the big muskets ’ is another of the Amazon battalions, and each of the soldieis in it is followed by a slave bearing her ammunition and extra accoutrements. Then there is a ‘sure killing company,’ made up of sharpshooters, and a company of carbineers, used for light and rapid service. ‘ The ‘bayonet company ’ is especially designed for charges and assaults. The ‘ elephant company ’ is not as its name might lead one to suppose, made up of women of remarkable size, but is composed, on the contrary, of warriors noted for their fleetness, strength, agility and courage, and is chiefly employed in the chase of the elephant, from which the king derives a considerable part of his revenue. The last company in the list is called, in the language of Dahomey, the ‘ Go-Len-To,’ which signifies ‘ the company of the quiver-bearers.’ It is made up of the very youngest Amazons, some of whom have just been recruited, and are hardly strong enough to bear heavy arms. They ate armed with a neat bow and arrow, and a small dagger at the belt, and wear an ivory bracelet on the left arm. Their principal employment is in bearing messages for the king and his lieutenants. The nominal commander of the Amazon army is the queen, or daila. Some of the members of the corps are State dignitaries, and have great authoiity in the kingdom. Travellers agree that, while the female soldiers rival and often surpass their male companions in feats of arms, bravery, and contempt of death, they are also quite their equals ic ■ cold blooded cruelty. One of the functions of the Amazons is to perform the war dances, and they execute difficult and intricate movements with wonderful precision and endurance. The traveller Skertchley describes one of these displays, with dances, songs, and sacrifices, which lasted sixteen hours without intermission