Columbia gazette., 1854-04-29
MISCELLANY.
A VIRGINIA BARBECTE

The word barbecue is said to be d,
rived from combination of two Frenc
words, signifying from the head to th
tail, or rather, according to the moe
erns, the whole figure, or the Who'll
hog BY some, this species Of enter
'aInment is thought to have originate
in the West India Islands. Howeye
this may bc,it is quite certain that it wa
first introduced into this country by tn
early settlers of Virginia; and through al
the Southern States, it is commonl,
looked upon as pheasant invention'' 0
the Old Dominion. The idea was eyi
IDENTIFY conceived by rural population
and in district where villages and tn,
ordinary buildings of the present time
were few and far between. For pur.
poses or pleasure, the people found j,
necessary or advisable to meet togethc,
IN masses at stated periods, and as these
meetings were made kind ofrural fcs-
tlvai, and as the animals served up on
such occasions were commonly roasted
entire, it was not unnatural that tho
feast should envcntually have become
known as a barbecue.
Of the genus barbecue, as it exists at
the present time, We believe there are
only two varieties known to the peoplo
OF Virginia, and one of these may be
denominated as social The social bar
becue is sometimes given at the expense
of single individual, but more com
monty by party of gentlemen who de-
sire to crafty their friends and neigh
bors by a social entertainment At
times the ceremony of issuing written in
vitations is attended to, but generally
speaking, it is understood that all the
yeomanry of the immediate neighbor-
hood. with their wives and children. will
De heartily welcomed, and spirit Of
perfect equality invariably prevails.
The spot ordinarily selected for the
meeting is an oaken grove in some pleas
ant vale, and the first movement is to
despatch to the selected place a crowd |
OF faithful negroes, for the purpose of |
making all the necessary arrangements. |
IL the barbecue is given at the ex-
pensc OF half dozen gentleman, YOU
may safely calculate that at least thirty
will be employed in bringing
together the good things. Those be-
ongng to one Of the entertainers will
probably make their appearance on the
ground with wagon load of fine
7oung pigs: others will bring two or taree
ambs, others some fine old whiskey and
sapfly of wine, others an abundance
It bread, and others will make their an
'earance in the capacity of musicians
When the necessaries are thus collected
he servants all join hands and proceed
nth their important duties. They first
ig a pit four feet wide, two or three
eep and as long as they require, into s
'i'ich they throw quantity of wood, for I
&c purpose of obtaining therefrom a I
cd OF burning Goals. This done. the 9
lore expert kitchen negroes proceed to S
past (by laying them upon sticks across 9
'e hre) the various animals prepared c
'r the occasion. In the mean time, all i
le other arrangements are progressing, h
ich as spreading the white cloths unon b
'e temporary board tables, and clearing a ii
lace tor dancing. The guests begin to Il
about ten o'clock, and by noon f;
lcre Is hardly tree within haiiine dis. a
nee OF the centre of attraction to which is
horse is not fastened. The assembly o.
quite large, and white dresses and u
arlet shawls are as numerous as the p
INNER flowers upon the neigboring hills. e'
Id men are here with their wives and p1
'ughters, in whose veins floweth the n,
st of aristoc:atic blood; young hus- o.
'nds with their wives; unmarried gen IL
'men with bevy Of laughing girls un-