Dahomey—or, as it is now fashionable to style it, Dahomé—may with truth be called one of the greatest curiosities of the Nineteenth Century. It seems so strange that a large, closely populated country, the monarch of which is anxious to cultivate the friendship of Europe, should be sunk in such gross barbarity. The chief features of its government are the Slave-Trade, the "Customs," or religious festivals, at which the notorious human sacrifices are offered, and the Amazons; and the last are by far the greatest curiosity. Very few rulers, in ancient or modern times, have authorised the keeping up a standing army of women; and none of the native tribes along the coast seem at all inclined to follow the example of Dahomey.
But the female sex in Dahomey is, they say, vastly superior to the male; the women are tall—upwards of six feet high, and powerfully built—the men, on the contrary, are, as a general rule, round-limbed and sickly-looking. Captain Burton suggests that it was this physical superiority which originated the custom of employing women-soldiers.
The Amazonian division of the army numbers twelve thousand women, ready at an hour's notice for active service. They are officered by females, and have a female commander-in-chief, who is entirely independent of the "Gau" or male commander-in-chief. To denote her rank, this female general wears a silver horn, hammer-shaped, projecting from her forehead, similar to a unicorn. The officers are distinguished by a white head-cloth, and by the superior make and material of their clothes; and when on the march, they are attended by what Captain Burton styles an "esquiress" or slave-girl, who carries the musket of her mistress.
The honorary captaincy of each corps is presented by the King to one of his sons, after whom it is sometimes named; though the companies are as frequently styled by the name of the district to which they specially belong. Sometimes the King presents some distinguished European traveller whom he wishes to compliment, with a honorary command.
The Amazons are not remarkable for any superfluity of muscle, but as a rule they are lithe and active. As they grow older, many become extremely stout. "Some of them" remarks Captain Burton "are prodigies of obesity." The commander-in-chief, he says, was "vast in breadth." Beauty is scarce in Dahomey, and what little there is, has not fallen to the lot of the Amazons. Captain Burton, who "expected to see Penthesileas, Thalestrises, Dianas," was sadly disappointed when he beheld "old, ugly, and square-built frows, trudging 'grumpily' along, with the face of 'cook' after being much 'nagged' by the 'missus'." They do not, however, as was once supposed, condemn themselves to single-blessedness; on the contrary, many have husbands and children.
They are very careful of their weapons—an English "Tower-marked" firelock, a short falchion, or dirk, and a large razor for cutting off heads. The musket is guarded by numerous charms, and when not in use is protected from the damp by a black, monkey-skin case; the barrel is polished bright, and sometimes adorned with a long tassel. Their skill in the use of these weapons is such as to render them exceedingly formidable adversaries.
Their uniforms are very showy. That of the Royal Guard—which, numbering rather more than a thousand women, is always stationed about the King's person—consists of a sleeveless tunic, surtout, or waistcoat of different colours, buttoning down the front, a pink, blue, or yellow loin-wrapper, or kilt, reaching to the ancles, a sash, generally white, tied round the waist, and folding down in two long ends on the left side, and a fillet of blue or white cotton round the head. The arms are left bare. A black leather belt, with cartridge box—or "agluadya"—forms a girdle, with holds the surtout tight to the figure. This belt is sometimes ornamented with cowrie shells; on it are hung bandoleers, which contain, in separate compartments, twelve, sixteen, or even twenty wooden powder-boxes. Each cartridge contains about four times the quantity of powder used in English cartridges, and the bullet is not placed in it as in Europe; a small leather ball-bag hangs from the shoulder by a strap which passes through the belt. When the Amazons are loading, they pour the powder into the barrel without any wadding, and then drop in a bullet, or a few slugs.
Shaving the head is a general, though not a universal fashion. Those who do so, leave only a small tuft of hair like a cockade; others, however, who do not follow this custom, shave a narrow strip, two inches in breadth, from the forehead to the crown of the head.
When the Amazons are on the march, the privates are obliged to carry an immense number of articles absolutely necessary for a campaign under the scorching sun of Africa. Packs, containing their bed-mats, a change of clothes, and food for a fortnight—said food consisting of toasted grains or bean cakes spiced with pepper—small stools with three or four legs, two cartridge-boxes, water-gourds, fetish-sacks, powder-calabashes, bullet-wallets, fans, wooden pipe-cases, leather tobacco-bags, hats made of felt or straw, and palm-leaf umbrellas, are just a few of the things carried by them on the march.