The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-17
A CURIOUS G ARRIVAL.
WET WEATHER IN CALLAo.

SOUTH AMERICA-A GENERAL DRENCH-
ING AND,REFRRsHMENrs FOR THE PoPU-
LACE-AN ANNUAL BATH FOR THE MIL
LION.
Mrs. Henry Witmors is the suggestive
name of the author of the following letter
from Callso South America, to the Cleye-
land Herald: The merry season OF car
nival is lust Overt Farewell to the flesh,
the world, and the devil' was announced
amid the most hilarious and cbarscteris-
| tic sports. For weeks before the eventful
days The air was full of the inspiration OF
coming festivities. All classes and ages
were busily engaged in making csscarones,
| a process resulting in the formation OF
stesrine upon bunches of grapes, tiny can
non, ETC., which, when filed with water,
were pronounced ready for use. The cook
| In Ihe kitchen greeted baskets OF eggs with
approval, but, instead OF opening them as
civilized cock should, made hole
| In each end of the shell and blew
| the contents out; then refilIing them with
"Florids water" and passing waxed paper
over the spertures, lald them aside for
use never intended by nature. The sedste
man, the rheumatic, The young exquisite,
ana especially the man OF delicate nervous
organization, found 1t convenient TO take
a snort sea voyage to PIsco or some other
near port, while others hied away to the
mountains. The Sunday previous to Ash
| Wednesday being the opening OF the car
nival-the exercises commencing soon az
! ter morDing MASSIVE could have but the
forenoon service in the Protestant Church.
Sabbath school and the evening service
yielded to the pressure of an over
towering custom. Senoritas, seuoras,
and children, hiding on balconies,
PEERING OUT FROM BEHIND SCREENS,
darting suddenly from all manner of
strange places on the roots, pelted egg
shells and cascdrOnes at the psssers by
the sticky pieces OF shell fastening them
selves upon the face, hair, and clothing of
| the victims. The sweetness OF the accom-
| panving showers Of delicate perfumery, II
| seemed TO us, could hardly compensate tor
such iudeness. The cautious pedes rian,
during carnival, takes the middle OF the
street, and with an umbrella of the spring,
ready to f1y open in any direction, thinks
himself well protected. But suddenly
some powerful syringe throws out stream
of water from an unsupported source, and
the sparkling drops fall around him like
| mimic rain-storm. His scowls and other de-
mOnstrstiOns of dlsplessufe avail nothing,
and be has only to pass on, to encounter,
perhaps, still more formidable drencn-
ing. The natives enjoy the fun heartily,
running the gauntlet with unequsled skill,
| laughing at this one, Struggling tier
shoulders at that one, pelting back their
tautal zipg tovmentors when tney get
| chance, and with their spirits on, me
Crsscendo, reach a height OF enjoyment
less excitable people can hardly under
stand Very early the next morning the
children awoke in a high state OF excite
1 meDt over the expected festivities. All
| children in the neigbbcrbood were
equally excited. Enough water lay secure
| in egg-shells aud cascar0nes in our house
| to cause l.. l-f
DELUaE ON SMALL SCALE.
Before the hour for breakfast the clothing
of each child was thoroughly soaked, and
soon after breakfast they were saturated
again. At IL O'Clock our little boy was in
vited TO a neighboFs to play carnival, all
the family participating in the Wild sport.
The throwing of water was not confined to
the garden, but rooms handsomely fur
nished and halls richly csrpeted were
thrown open, regardless of the damage
that would result from the rlsy. The
actors, dressed in ba hing costumes, exsr-
cised their skill aud subtle stratagems Tor
more than an hour, and surprised each
other with all manner OF curious ways of
applying the water. According to the
cooflct was over and the par
Elephants had chsnged their cloth
ing, the lady of the house served lunch
| OF delicate visnds, over which a truce was
| established for a few hours. Tuesday
night being the last of the carnival the
excitement reached It's height. Foreigners
as well as natives entered into the sport
| with energy. The residence we occupy
has fiat root, like most houses in this
country, and upon 1t gentlemen and ladies
collected 10 give vent TO their pent up
mirtb. They not only drenched each
| ether, but threw buckets null of water
upon unfortunate persons passing by on
the pavement below. Those who thought
themselves SAFE in passing q distance were
reached with the aid OF bose. Bright
colored paints were also brought into re-
QUESTION, and net few unfortunate
women were
AFFIXED IN ALL THE CoLoRs OF THE
KALEIDOsCoPE.
One very grotesque picture presented itself
to us A full-grown Topsy with face, hair,
arms, hands, and garments stained u sky
| blue, was seen across the street chasing
three elegantly dressed EnglishmeD. Both
hands were full Of blue paint to be thrown
| over them, should she be fortunate enough
TO overtake them. Their manner toward
her was tantalizing, and their motions
quite lanciiul as they danced around her.
| Now they would halt and now start OF on
the full run. Finally they disappeared
around a corner st tull speed, and ropsy"
after them, leaving upon our minds
carnival scene not easily forgotten.
Some idea of the utter abandon OF every
body during this season may be gained
from the following incident: day or two
before carnival a young lady anticipated
the occasion by having little play with
her dentist. He was putting very neat
filing of gold into a tooth-one OF those
delicste and difficult pieces of work of
which a dentist is so proud-snd had
braced his nerves to GREATNESS tension,
when thu young lady quietly passed her
arm around nim, aad bringing her hand
! up TO bis ear burst a cascarone into it. He
said 1t sou nded like thunder clap. The
water ran down bis ear and neck; bis
nerves received a shock such as no electric
ba' terry could have given him. The young
had big bill to paw"