New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-18
THE CARNIVAL.
A few Paragraphs about the Saturnalia-
Movements, Number and Tendencies OF
the Crowd-The Day and Celebration
n Big success.


10000 strong-an impression began to pre-
vail early on Mardi Gras, that the day cele-
bration might fall through, owing to some
misunderstanding among the usual carnival
revelers. 1t was with some apprehension
and uneasiness, partly on this account,
partly on account of the weather, that spec
tators began to repair to the City Hall.
What in the first place led them to 90
thither was the firing of royal salute OF
twenty two guns at about midday. This
duty was performed by carnival soldiers in
Zouave uniform, and it intimated that Roi
FdineaM had already entered the municipal
building and commenced drinking cham
payne with the Mayor, his Administrators,
and other visitors in attendance. A formal
tender of the keys Of the city by the Mayor
to the Carnival King, was made in speeches
ON both sides sufficiently sententious.
Meanwhile the various courtiers. out.
riders, marshals and royal troops had gone
through the difficult process of rigging
themselves out in the various costumes in
cident to the occasion, and which must have
been of many hundred different patterns
In the way of costumes and theatrical
properties there must have been enough
brass helmets, togas, purple robes, chain
armor, shields, bucklers, spears and every
sort of armor ancient and modern, to have
handsomely equipped most OF the circuses,
theatrical troupes and operas in the whole
country. It is very dOub full whether even
in Rome or Italy any more imposing display
was ever made. Besides these were large
bodies Of United States infantry, who
had turned out in an elegant special
uniform, with very fine bands in
honor Of the joyous occasion. These all
made very brave appearance, and when a
car containing some thirty of the chorus
singers, most of the fair persuasion, from
the opera las was shrewdly guessed), wheel.
ed to the front, and sung an anthem to the
Carnival King, the interest in the spectacle
received an immense impulse, which showed
itself in prolonged shouts. The pageant
moved off as announced in the programme
printed yesterday morning, very much
similar in its arrangement to the movement
adopted last year. AS there were then at
least seventy-tive columns of minute des-
cription devoted by the various city papers
to the spectacle, it will only be necessary
now to refer to a few general features
wherein it differed from any predecessor.
In its general outline there was a vast i'm
provement in pageantry and pomp, and IN
many features which attract crowd. 1t
was an excellent move on the part of this
managers, the giving free admissions to the
theatres, the reception of the King on Mon.
day, and a general starting of the Carnival
spirit on Monday. Then, too, the uniforms
were much more theatrically splendid, and
there were fewer of the class of advertisers
who were too mean to show Oft their wares
through the recognized avenues, and who
availed themselves of the general holiday
to turn it into an advertising display.
Crowds turned out or made displays in
front of their houses, and there was al i'm.
mense number of these mostly did 80 in
spirit of fun, and probably by this time
the advertisers have discovered that their
prospectuses fell very collly on the public.
The most remarkable feature in the pro.
cession next to the aged Rex iwho, by the
way, is understood to be one Of our veteran
bankers), were the Mayor and Administra.
tors, who were taken prisoners by half a
dozen Amazons in very elaborate riding
costumes, and an equal number Ot princesses
of the realm, who were carried in palan.
quins or sedans, with very long handles,
upen the shoulders of attendant slaves.
The popularity Of these lolling beauties
was that their sedans swayed and vibrated
to and fro. or rather up and down, with a
graceful, voluptuous motion. which can
only be seen to be understood, and which
invariably awakened shout Of applause
from the admiring crowd.
Another pretty feature was the pages
bearing large silver keys. and others who
went before swinging censors and diffusing
as they advanced a delightful perfume of
sandal wood and other fragrant odors.
Beside the court of st. Rex and the hoary
priesthood of the Carnival, there were all
manner of ferocious and grOtesque looking
characters from the saddle colored Shah OF
Persia down to the swarthy executioner.
choristers, lancers, yeOmanry, sheriffs,
guilds, miscellaneous maskers. which latter
not unfrequently became impatient of the
royal power and attempted to break to the
front. or get out of line altogether. The
costumes and pantomimes of the unattach-
ed were in many instances the most inter-
esting feature of the day.
In the front moved the private carriage of
the secretaries of Rex's court clearing the
way, trumpeters doing the Same, and a
large car, gorgeously gotten up, and filed
with hogshead of candies and bonbons,
which were distributed in great handfuls to
the populace. Then, too, there was the i'm
mense milk white bGuf gras, the property
of the Duke Mehly of Suffolk, so fat and
pOnderous that the fatigue of Rex's triumph
ant march would probably have broken
him corporeally down. He travelled in a
bull, upon which rode one Of the royal
pages, and who not unfrequently manifested
a disposition to insert his horns IN some of
the bystanders.
The most Impressive dlspiay IN the whole
procession was that which represented the
departure or expulsion Of the Moorish King
Boabdil from Granada. with his surviving
warriors. members Of the royal family,
harem and the like, in which all the tradi'
tions relating to the last Of the race Of the
unfortunate monarch were gracefully and
touchingly carried out. 1t was in thispart OF
TIE procession that the unhappy though
voluptueus looking Moorish women ap-
pear in Eastern wells mounted on horseback,