DAHOMEY (native name of the people, Dauma or Dahomey, a colony of French West Africa between Laeos (British) and Togoland and extending northward to the French Military Terri tories. The long lagoon which, shut in from the ocean by a protecting bank of sand, affords an easy route along nearly the whole of this coast, extends in Da homey, from its W. frontier almost to the Denham lagoon, in the E. About mid way is the port of Whydah, whence a road extends inland to Abomey, a dis tance of 65 miles. Dense forests and dis mal swamps cover nearly two-thirds of this distance, but from the Great Swamp of Agrime vast undulating plains rise for many miles, in the direction of the Kong Mountains. The Avon and Denham la goons receive the rivers of the country, none of which are very important. The soil is a rich, red-colored clay, and is extremely fertile. Groves of oil-palms encircle each town, and palm-oil is made in large quantities. Maize, beans, and peas, as well as cassava, yams, sweet po tatoes, limes, oranges, pineapples, and other tropical fruits, grow in splendid luxuriance; cotton, sugar, and spices of all kinds are also grown, and sheep, goats, swine, and poultry are raised, though not in large numbers. Cotton cloth is made, and weapons and tools are forged from native iron. The imports in 1918 amounted to 12,819,239 francs and the exports to 13,690,478 francs.
The people are negroes, of the Ewe group, generally of small stature, but very robust and active. The Dahoman
kingdom dates from the beginning of the 18th century, and reached its zenith under Gezo, who ruled from about 1818 to 1858. The Amazons (devoted to celi bacy), who are distinguished for their bravery and ferocity, may perhaps be limited to 1,000. Fetich-worship prevails, taking the form of serpent-worship along the coast; a temple with over a hundred of these sacred snakes exists in Whydah. The king is the most absolute of despots. Wholesale murder is one of the chief features in religious and state cere monies; but, acording to Sir Richard Burton, who visited Dahomey in 1863, the number of the victims has been greatly exaggerated, and they are principally foreign captives. Still, as many as 500 human victims have been sacrificed at one of the grand "customs" which take place every October. The revenue for merly depended greatly upon the sale of slaves; but the vigilance of the cruisers employed to prevent the traffic has ruined the trade. Hence the monster slave hunts which periodically took place are a thing of the past. In 1876 the coast of Dahomey was placed under a strict block ade by Great Britain, on account of an outrage on a British subject, for which the King of Dahomey refused satisfac tion.