The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-02

cPsAtOus
This celebration, peculiar, in this country
TO New Orleans, came off there last week. A
ietter gives an interesting description Of the
scenes, which will be new to our readers
Fitful gusts of wind and rain during the On
tire morning seriously interfered with the
street sports, but AS the clouds broke away in
the afternoon, throngs Of masqued personages
costumed in every con ceivabt manner. poured
along the thoroughfares. Troops of wild In.
ulanS dashed about on horseback; negroes
clowns and knights, similarly mounted, fol.
lowed In their wake. Women s'alked about
attlred as men, aud men unsexed themselvee ee of
their proper garments to don the crinoline l.
was glOrious:i ime for the Landowners s. the rich
er rporTion of whom ella tered along in carriages
Whlle their poorer sisters draggled on foot
.hrough the sloppy s'reets. The vulgar and
"epraNed OF our city had the monopoly Of its
license, and in this one days freedom of the
town could alleviate n figment Of their wretch
edness even a pillar OF the Church" could
forgive the nonsense of Mardi-Gras.
Ihe great and only comEendable feature Of
tne occasion was the procession Of the Mystick
hreWe OF Comus at night. II Is well known
mat our richest and most influential cirizens
are members Of this Order, but so admirably is
each broihers identity disguised that it is i'm
possible to point out any well known indi-
Nidual and say with certainty, thou art the
man 1t is pretty we'll ascerrained, from the
above fact, that none of the feminine gender
have as yet been initiated. Hours before the
procession mad started every available nook
was occupied the streets We're like bee hives,
alive with the multitude; the balconies and
windows swarmed with belfes rv-oies; uron
the steps and about the columns Of the public
buildings were perfect rookeries Of curious
little boys. Finally, n brilliant light shor
afhwart the buildings on Canal street, which
gradually grew into a blaze of torches aud
Roman candles. tremendous hurrah surged
up from the enthusiastic mass of spec cta'ors as
tho Eleusnian Bro therhood came in sight
IN front rode Marshal, tas,efully decora-
ted. On the first car was borne an Egyptian
pyramid, with an inscription explanatory Of
thesnblects represented in the Dagpant, viz :
The Gr.at Nm of Orr Country Separate cars
bore along living -ffigies of Columbus De Soto
Bienvlle, VIM. Penn Hendrick Hudson
Washington, Jackson and Clay Calhoun and
webster. The Knights of De Soto followed
behind his car afoOt, and likewise afoot be-
hind the car of VIM. Penn stalked the
braves of POwhatan Each character was the
f"c s'n,ite OF marble statue of the original
habited IN white garments and masked with 4
plaster east of the features Of the depa ri ed
great; it was like a resurrection of the shepred
dead, As the earish light of the hambeaux
Hooded the procession with haloes and sharp
ly and clearly defined the lineaments of those
who live in glory and In song.
After parading the principal streets. the
Mvstick krewe en- tered the Varieties Thea ire
where. with appropriate music and scenery, a
variety of tabieaux was produced, descriptive
of our earlier and later history such as Co.
lumbus discovering America De Ssto's dis
covary of the Father of Waters, Pocahontas
saving the life of Smith. Landing of the Pill
grims, &c. The Theatre was crowded from
pit to dome with a vast concourse OF the
beauty. wit and wealth of New Orleans. and
the festivities were wound up by a brilliant
dance-the savage aud hero of old time waltz
ing with the 'ripe and real'' daughters of the
South. Merriment was rampant throughout
the night with masked-balls within doors
and frolicsolue Cambols without. Altogether
NJ 'rdi-Gras in New Orleans is a sight worth
seeing. although the next day is Ash We'd
nesday-with its ashes.