Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-05-07
From the Correspondence Of the FesO Yo,l =
Sunday AmuSementS in Hayap, ~


Sunday morning, but the violation Of hi. o'clock
is not deemed any offence you can. boiaT
buy what you wish at all hours of the daS
Sabbath Only the first class of retail So. ~ hs
heavy mercantile houses are closed and aug
ways the former. AS the store door is CT d.
only egrcss and ingrcss to private dwell;ne' ~e
as many eat and sleep in their shops. this "no
garded as a necessity. But the street cr;a. re-
Sunday morning, and the purchasing and ~, ssIr %
of goods is the least offensive of the Sabbs,IHnS
lations. Except the morning Mass, and tbe o' u"
sional visits to the affairs there are no sions -
ligious life however many may be the cases 81:
dividual piety, and these are no doubt comm. ~'
nough among many of the good women of tba
land. For the men not SO much can be saa
Severe is he penance performed on some o.
sons and painful are the sacrifices of bealn 10
comfort to appease an offended Saint. pn
contrast, or as an offset to this, behold the r@l
Sabbath appearance of the whole Island in cbn,,1
and out | have mentioned the Bull foht.asIl
cock fights and ma ked balls of the Easter Hag
days, and as displayed during the Sabbath Of ~.
arrival.
Ny second Sunday here reminded me Of Il.
noisiest holidays at home. The church helix rI'
the tongues of the street populace, keep up = No,
petual clatter most of them very old and sor.1
as soemnly as would the hammerine Of 50 49,
huge lin kettles. There is silence on. and in ~
churches, however in the afternoon, and then Il.
crowd throng to the city gates and beyond tbs
Paseo. There is another grand masked hall n
the Campo Mario, and this time, too, Benefca ~
Chant is the excuse, if any were wanted. for hs
grand display. Just inside the gates there is the
strongest negro exhibition human eyes ever en-
upon this side of Africa. 1t is congregation #
the slaves OF the city and neighborhced, and tbev
are seen in dozen fornR on the highway, en;oy.
ing their holiday amusementS and worship. SONS
of them are in the costume of their tribes at home
and the representatives of each tribe here have
their own places of meeting, and forbid all in,rn
sion or innovation. They elect their TEN, rarv
King and Queen, and these are Acknowledged
chiefs and omnipotent for tie occasion. Accord
ing to their custom, order reigns in these halls Of
reveIry, dancing or worship. There is little
shrine, with two wax candies on each side Of il,
and within is painted the Saint or the IDOL Of the
African. Standing or moving upon the foof are
the dancers and musicans--lhe music being bits
/ of iron struck together, rude drums made Of M
tanned cowhide, and stretched across a piece Of
the trunk of a tree.
Most of the dancers are in their SUNDAY dres-
ses, and such contoftiuns of body, swapping Of fin.
gers, dashngof arms, shutting OF feet and stretch
ing of legs, | have never seen before. Some
times there is but one dancer in The ring, and h.
or she will begin slowly at first kind Of shuttle,
intended as Il sort of challenge 10 the lockers On,
who are gradually brought into the dance. H:
is the best dancer, who can tire down the most
people, and there is often an earnest struggle be-
tween the men and women for mastery or endu-
rance. The music Of the Instruments Is accom-
panied by an equally Elcno:onoHs seRg or chorus
of few words from each of the actors and look
ers on. The perSpralion in the meantime. rolls
from the faces of the laborcrs, and they present
picture Of idolatry and Extravaganza far beyond
anything found among the widest savaacs OF The
land in the early discovery Of America. And tes
I there are points of remembrance between IN In
dian and African dance, and between their rude
instruments OF music. All this i allowed and
protected On Sunday aft,IEouns ard holidays 6y
the authorities. Nobody. however, intrudcs upon
the ceremonies, and lie guard have but little else
to do than look on and enjoy Ike sport. As mat
ter of recreation for 1hc negroes this well eEonga
in its way, bat as an exhibition or wo.sLip il Is
painful to look upon even amidst tic pleasure and
merriment of Tie wor>EirPers
Look now to another picture of Havana Sun
day. Here, open to the view of all is cock Eight
where the cocks are trained and fed, VT i,Led and
measured for their antagonists. Large sums in
ounces of gold, ana pounds of silver depend upon
such sports, and from the negro, up nearly every
body bets, (and pays his be! tool upon the re-
suit. The cocks crow loud enough over their VIC
tins, but there is louder c8ckle and growing is
suing from the lips of the bipeds who surround
the pit. Here too. is sort of len pin game pc
ing on in the open square where balls aFs thro*n
at pins and where the skill is to kick out the cent?.
pin by lucky hit. Genuine nine pins are PLAYED
also with billiards, cards, dice and all the games
of the gambling house. in the evening, We have
fire works, baAs theatres, g.:
TIE greatest attraction of all is the riding on the
PaSco, up one side aad down the other with cav
airy police to keep all in order. There thou
sand v9lantes some with two horses and some with
one, in space of IL mile or so. Ladies elegantly
dressed, but not one OF them having Soaaet, I'M
less sac is foreigner, fill the vehicles two OF
three III each. Hours have been spent at the toll
ct III preparing for this scene and display. Pax
and white nusliRs, fbsics Of blue and yellow,
plain and spotted, colors, in sull, and coorS II
part, Jewels upon the dress and flowers, lace and
ribbons IN the hair, paint apoa the face, and eve
ry conceivable adornment of nature, and art deco
rate the fair A thousand or two of men line the
road and gaze into every vehicle. It's the love
! OF admiration on the one hand, and curiosl y ane
the love OF woman upon the other, and CubAn na-
ture Is human nature all over the world in this re-
: Spect. The Caleseros are covered all over VIE
! lace and ribbons above their tight brrecbeS ana
seven leagued boots, mistress and servant here ~
: IN the church many hours ago, seem to strive al
! most equally according to their vacation IN max
! ing the grandest possible display. The crowd dlS
peTse to the Plaza, to hear more Opera music as
the sun disappears, and the moon and stars SHINE
: out, and SO ends second Sabbath in the Havana
. f. B.