The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-12-09

Mirror.
Mount up these other stairs with no less
saution (there are traps and pitfalls here, for
hose who are not so well escorted as our
seIves) into the house top; where the bare
beams and rafters meet over head, and calm
night looks down ihrough the creVices in the
roof
Open the door Of one Of those cramped
hutches full Of sleeping negroes. Pah!-I
They have a charcoal FIRE within there 10
smell Of singing clothes, or flesh, so close |
they gather round she brazier and vapors |
issue forth that blind and sufocate. From
every corner, as you glance about Jou in
these dark retreats, some figure crawIs half
awakened, as If the judgment hour were
near at hand, and every obscene grave were
giving up its dead. Where dogs would
howl 10 lie, women, and men, and boys
stink of to sleep, forcing the dislodged rats
TO move away in quest of better lodgings.
Here, too, are lanes and alleys paved with
mud knee.deep; underground chambers,
where they dance and game-the walls be-
decked with rough designs Of ships, and
forts, and flags, and American eagles cut Of
number; ruined houses, open to the street, )
whence, through wide gaps in the walls,
other ruins loom upon The eye, as though the
world Of vice and misery had nothing else to
show; hideous tenements, which take their
/ name from robbery and murder; all that is
oathsome, dropping, aud decayed, is here.
Our reader has his hand upon the latch of
lsAlmack's," and calls to US from the bottom
of the steps for the assembly-room Of the
Five-Point fashionables is approached by a
i descent. Shall we go in? It is but mo-
ment.
Heyday} the Iandlady Of Almack's tllrives!
A buxom Eat mulatto woman, with sparkling
eyes, whose head is daintily ornamented
with a handkerchief Of many coIors. Nor il
the landlord much behind her in his fnery
being atIred in a smart blue jacket, like
ships steward, with at thick gold ring upor
his little finger, and round his neck CLEAN
ing golden watch guard. How glad he is L
see us What will we please to call for =
A dance! It shall be done directly, sir: g
regular break down."
The corpulent black fiddler, and his frient
; who plays the tamborine, stamp upon tn
boarding of the small raised orchestra i
which they sit, and play lively measure.
Five or six couple upon the floor, maj
shalied by lively young negro, who is tn
S wit Of the assembly, and the greatest dance
S known. He never leaves off making quee
e faces, and is the delight of all the rest, VIII
J, grin from ear to ear necessarily. Among tn
3. dancers are two young mulatto girls, wit
o large, black, dropping eyes, and head geS
y after the fashion of the hostess, who are
It shy or fain to be, as though they never dar
/ ced before, and so look down before the vi
u sitors, that their partners can see nothing bu
e the long fringed lashes.
d But the dance commences. Every gentle
man sets as long as he likes TO the oPPosii
y 1lAdY, and the opposite lady to him, and al
!, are so long about il that the sport begins t
, ! IL I.
dashes in to4he rescue. Instantly the fid
j. dler grins, and goes at it tooth and nail
q there is new energy'In the tambourine; new
q laughter in the dancers new smiles in tia
Is landlady new confidence in the landlord
It new brightness in the very candles. Sngl
d shuttle, double shuttle. cut and Cross cut
IS swapping his fingers, rolling his eyes, turn
10 ing in his knees, presenting the backs of hi
/. legs in front. spinning about on his toes an
8 heels like nothing bat the mans fingers o
n the tambourine; dancing with two left legs
IS two right legs, two wooden legs, two wiz
ir legs, two spring legs-all sorts of legs an
l. no legs-what is that to him And in VIII;
l. walk of life, or dance Of life does man eve
get such stimulating applause as thunder
!; about him, when, having danced his partnt
Is off her feet, and himself too, he finishes b
p eaping gloriously on the bar counter, an
IS chuckle of million of count erfeit jim Crow
S, in one inimitable sounds
3. The air, even in these distempered parts
-e is fresh after the sitting atmosphere Of tn
t. houses; and now as we emerge into broad
5, er street il blows upon us with a pur,
is breath, and the stars look bright again.
ID Here are the Tombs once more. The Gil
le watch-house is a part of the building.
N follows naturally on the sights we have in
in left. Let US to that and then to bed"
y A WESTERN STEAMBOAT.
"The Messenger was among a crowd
ID pressure steamboats,, clustered togsth
!. by the wharf.side, which looked down upe
le from the rising ground that forms the landil
AT place. and backed by the lofty bank on Il
Al opposite side Of the river, appeared no lare
h. than so many floating models. She had son
of forty passengers on board, exclusive Oft
N poorer persons on the lower deck; and
! 4 haitian hour or less proceeded on her yav.
d. We had, for ourselves, tiny state roo
= with two berths in il, opening out Of the |
IL dies cabin. There was, undoubtedly, som
Ne thing satisfactory in this location, inasma,
&c as II was III the stern, and we had beer
great many times very gravely recommend,
N 70 keep as far aft as possible, sbecause Il
8. steamboats, generally blew up forward >,
4. Nor was this an unnecessary caution, as Il
~ occurrence and circumstances Of more h,
{. one such fatality during our stay suf7icien,
le testified. Apart from this source OF self-co
i. graduation. It was an unspeakable relief
3 have any place, no matter how confna
where one could be alone and as the row
VI little chambers Of which this was one. i,
4. each second glass door besides that i1, 81
q ladies' cabin, which opened on q Aarro
q gallery outside the vessel, where the or
n passengers seldom came, and where n
/. lcould Sit in peace and gaze upon the shifliI
81 prospect, We took possession Of our new qur
q ters with much pleasure.
o. Il the native packets ] have alreadr 1
te scEibad Be unlike any hing we are IS \