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Show HORRORS IN DAHOMEY. Statekin,WR. Dp. Bayol B.w-Ftend-Uh Amazons. A tetter from Paris, giving details of the adventures of Dr. Bayol, the governor gov-ernor of Kotonou, who was imprisoned by the king of Dahomey, appears in The ossische Zeitung. Dr. Bayol himself was not ill treated, but was forced to witness the most horrible executions, and was closely watched night and day by three of the most important chiefs. He was forced to be present at the execution exe-cution of his secretary and his interpreter, interpret-er, and was a spectator of the sacrifice at one time of eighty-four human beings, and at another of forty-two. The victims vic-tims were bound, mutilated in a horrible horri-ble manner, and then, still alive, hung np 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. skele-tons. Dr. Bayol was every time compelled to view each corpse, while the executioners execu-tioners carefully turned the heads of their victims toward him. Upon one occasion he desired to buy off some negroes, ne-groes, whom he recognized as proteges from Porto Novo, but the king angrily refused to allow it. Every day his dusky majesty danced before the doctor, executing exe-cuting steps and jumps which would 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 Amazons Dr. Bayol describes as very fiends. One day the doctor witnessed wit-nessed a spectacle which he will never forget. At a sign from the king 600 Amazona rushed upon a living ox and tore it into pieces in a few seconds; then each, with a piece of raw flesh in her mouth, marched off singing, while five of their number held the skin and head of their victim aloft in triumph. In festal garments they witnessed from the roofs of the neighboring huts the human sacrifices of the next day and laughed heartily. They always appear perfectly resigned and go quietly to death when their turn comes. The king is very suspicious, and wonld not sign the letter written to the president of the French republic. Dr. Bayol's return to the coast was extremely dangerous, for he had no passport and was therefore obliged, in spite of illness, to march more than fifty miles in one day through country with which he was quite unacquainted. unac-quainted. On arriving at Kotonou he heard of the death of the king, whom, had he been still at Dahomey, he would have probably been accused of poisoning. |