The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-10-23
Festival Day. at Cauterers.

nc A"A EtI-AH - -~A tN-- NAN NA-e A~NN
iay aud tue Fsss Dieh- We have oaly once
witnessed the Courses de Cauterels. nor Do We
particularly wish again 10 see performance which
Is perfect farce and very cruel ss the uufOgtun-
ate horses have 70 ruu along The hard road, the
Only available race-coarSe. 10 the no small risk OF
their knees, and the certain ruin Of their egS,
The only interesting part Of the spectacle was the
I ioot races Of the mountaiueers. their broad and
7 high leaping, and their throwing matches, The
running. Or more correctly speaking, climbing
races, take pLce about mile from the village.
TIE shepherds, who practice some weeks preyi-
ously, star, from the foot OF moUntaiu, aud
make their bare-footed way. BY any route they
choose, circuitous or direct, to the heights on
which are planted TWO dags that serve as goals.
+ Their agility is marvellous, and 1t Is curious to
observe the devious routes taken TO the same
end, some Of the athletes finding it easier to run
cunning even when doubling the distance, than
to make direct for the goal 1t is fortunate such
diFsreaces Of opinion and powers exist, or the
danger would be greatly increased BY the thrOng-
ing Of the direct aud PERCEPTIONS path, where an
unintentiousl touch or jostls might easily prove
fatal. or the dislodgiug Of s. stone or crae BY
. foremost runner cause the fall Of rival. An
unusual feature Of this entertainment, the only
. one Of a secular nature at which We have ever
remarked them, vas the number Of priests amoug
the spectators, and very picturesque were the
white and duSky forms perched about the neigh
boring heights.
A few days before religious fsts, all the
cbildreus heads assume pepper-and-salt hue,
but the newspaper PaplliOtes give place on the
great day to magnificent bushes Of curly hair
Special attention Is bestowed on the angelic pates
Of those destined to figure in the procession, or
to enact the parts OF cherubim aud seraphim at
the reposoirs, as the extemporized sbriues il the
streets are called. Ou the morning Of the Esis
Disu, the BARRIERS shops swarm with incipient
angels, whose divine heads contrast queerly
enough with their decidedly human little bodies
The rapidity with which these = functions" are
got Up Is marvellous. At eleven O'Clock there
was no sign Of anything unusual by twelve, men
und women were bringing boaghs and nosegays
into the village, and by two o'clock the streets
we're mass Of green Five large repoSoirs had
sprung into existence, constructed out OF the
rO1ghest wooden sesfolding, tasteiuIIy wreathed
with colored muslin, and sd0rued with figures,
flowers, real and artificial. and gold and silver
tinsei the steps we're carpeted, aud thereupon
stood pairs Of the cherubic beings, who, IN white
froeks and blue ribbons, we're much more sug-
gestive Of cupids than Of angels. The process
sious consist Of priests, choristers and school
children, preceding and following the parish cure,
who slowly PAGES along under q groteSque awning
carried BY four nee, and which exactly resembles
the upper part Of AZ old-tsbionsd f0ur-postsr
bed Small boys in white and gold wave before
eensers, Which PrOdaee curiOus clicking sound
Ike cas,anets. others streE his way With rose
petals, to sappIy which all the ueighboring gar
deus are laid under contribution. So they make
their progress through the village chanting and
singing all the way. anj stopping to kueeI and
pray at every altar. Towards the end Of the day
We have noticed the eberubim and ssgphim so
irked and wearied that they had to be bribed 10
remain on duty BY sticks Of barley-sugar; sucking
and brandizbing which they we're induced to
stand and wait to the end but oh the glee
With which the fat little legs toddlsd down the
steps as soon as permission vas given
On St. Johns Day, IN every village, the Prst-
test boy CT five OF SIX Is chosen TO represent the
SAINT Naked, bet for piece Of skin fastened
round bis waist be marches IN the midst Of the
procession, followed By lamb marked on the
back or head With magenta or blue cross The .
animal ought Voluntarily to follow close at St.
Johns heels az be Is reared with the child il his
e3ttage home, s7d Is fed and pettsd by the future
saint but beEiidered by the crowd and By his
masters unaecustorued appearance, the poor beast
Is seldom equal to the occasion, and has generally
to be dragged by cord, or, tied BY the legs and
cast, Is carried outstretched on a shutter.
So We have seen the infant Baptist lag, and
blabber till some one IN the crowd, spreading an
umbrella TO shelter bis fat little person from rain .
OF sun, as the case might be, dragged him BY the 4
hand to the end Of his journey. i pleasing diver
sion to the general routine was effected ou one
occasion by friend Of ours Who eoIsented to /
sing at one Of the rePozors- Concealed BY .
bocags We e1tsmporzsd in balcony, Madame .
Olivier, whose voice Is silgularly beautiful, ar
rested the course Of the processlou by singing
SaI7e Regina The astouishmeHt and delight Of .
the people were great. and from cur boEery BAL .
couy We coald, unseen, watch the effect produced .
on the crowd below; study the gpIifted faces .
fresh from prayer, and observe how the eeussFs d.
ceased to wave and the rosy shower to fAIl, as,
eatraneed By such exquisite singing as they 4
never heard before, the simple moantaiHeers
listened e though to angel strains.-AEAs Ysqr
Round
A CaLEoEyIA editor thus eases himself
g Dolly VaEieuiz1, vieEed from philosophical
standpoint Is the rsaIizati0a II material form Of
81 that < most load, gIaring odd, CANDY, glitter
ing and oztlzudizh- Il Is the expression Of
lougconeealed ysaEuiag after barbara display