AFRICA.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 17, 6 January 1863, Page 3

AFRICA.

tninabit Atrocicties of the King of Dahomey. he following information from Dahomey been received from the commander of her esty'sship Griffin, at Little Popo, August 862 : — " On the sth of August, when at ior off Little Popo, I received a letter i the shore, stating that Mr. Euschart, a eh merchant, residing at Popo, had just irned from Dahomey, and that lie had sof great interest for my ear, I give substance of Mr. Euschart's information losely as possible, having jotted it down ly notebook during our conversation. Mr. chart was at Whydah on the 24 th of June nhe received the stick of the King of lomey, with an instruction that his pre:e was required at Abomey. Mr. Euiit tried every method of evading the ney, but without avail, the Caboceers of ydah plainly telling him that he would :arried to Abomey as a prisoner if he did at once willingly obey the King's mes- ». Accordingly, having provided himself h six hammock men, he left Whydah for miey, escorted by an armed party of Dan'ans. July 1. Received by the King, who seated outside the paluce on a raised surrounded by Amazons. He saluted King in European style. The King at c got up and shook hands with him, said was very glad to see a Dutchman, and tinued talking in Portuguese for about minutes. He was then ordered to return is house and keep inside three days. July -He was brought to the market place, ;re he was told many people had been ed the night before." He first saw the y of Mr. William Doherty fa Sierra ne uianj, late a missionary cind Church echistat Ishagga. The body was cruciagainst a large tree, one nail through ferehead, one through the heart, and one >ugh each hand and foot : the left arm was t and a large cotton umbrella in the grasp, was taken to the market, where the king s seated on a raised platform, from which ■was talking to the people much ' war ivar,' and promising them an attack upon )eokuta, in November. Cowries, cloth, rum were then distiibuted. In front of market-place rows of human heads, fresh gory, wotg ranged, and the whole place •saturated with blood, the heads evidently inging to some of the Ishagga prisoners > "had been killed during the night, r having been tortured in the most frightmanner. Until July 10th Mr. Euschart ordered to remain quiet in his house, and [Ao move or look out after sundown. July —The ground shook violently — evidently n the date, the i-ffect of the eaithke felt at Accra. Mr. Euschart was iv c brought to the market-place, where lie nd the king again seated on the raised form, surrounded by Amazons ; the king him that the ground shaking was his icr's spirit, complaining that 'Customs c not made proper.' Three Ishagga chiefs |c then brought before the king, 1 told they were to go and tell father that 'Customs should be better i ever.' Each chief was then given a le of rum and a head of cowries, and then apitated. Twenty-four men were then ught out, bound in baskets, with their ds just showing out. and placed on the form in front of the King; they were l thrown down to the people, who were cinq, singing, and yelling below ; as each i was thrown down, ho was seized beheaded, the heads being piled in one p and the bodies iv another ; every man » caught a victim and cut off the head ;ived one head of cowries (about 2s). er all weie killed Mr. Euschart was conted home. — July 11. Taken to another ; of the town where exactly similar horrors c being perpetrated. — July 12. All the forms were taken down, and the pronme appeared to be firing guns, singing, dancing all day ; there were no more lie sacrifices for 10 days, but it is sup;d many took place during the nights. — (r 22. Taken to see the ' Grand Customs ' he Palace of the late King, at the gate of eh two platforms had been erected ; on i platform 16 men and four horses were :ed ; inside the house was placed another form, on which were placed 16 women, • horses, and one alligator. The men and nen were al! Sierra Leone people captured shagga, and were dressed in European hes, each group of 16 men seated or rather nd in chairs placed round a table on which ises of rum were placed for each. The ig then asc?nded the platform, where he red the Dahomian fetish, and seemed to cc obeisance to the prisoners, -whose right is were then loosed to enable them to take the glass to drink the King's health, er the King's herUh had been drunk, the cts of the late King were paraded and shipped by the people as they passed ; a Qd review of the troops then commenced, as each marched past the King angued them, and promised the sack of beokuta in November. Nearly the whole the troops wore firearms ; a* few select ps had rifles, but the greater part were led with flint-lock muskets. The artillery sisted of about 24 guns (12-pounders). inumber of troops altogether could scarceness than 50,000, including 10,000 Amazons, apparently well disciplined troops. After review was over the prisoners were beded, their^heads being hacked off with at knives ; at the same time the horses alligator were despatched, particular } being taken that their blood should igle with that of the human prisoners. en all was finished Mr. Euschart was fitted to leave Abomey, which, it is jlless to say, he immediately did, having »ived the magnificent viatica of eight Rs of cowries (165.), one piece of country ih, and two flasks of rum. — T. L. Pekuy, Ipmander."