Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-11-08
THE CONGO DANCE
How New Orleans Negroes Amused
Themselves Sixty Years Ago.

New Orleans p~ieayunc.l
The lazy tinkle of the bell on the
car mules, the drowsy drumming Of
the cicada on the tall sycamore trees,
and the green fiat Of sunlit grass
trembling beneath the warm after
noon's rays, made Congo Square yes
terday anything but a cool retreat.
Sixty years ago, on a Sunday after
noon, Congo Square would present a
very different appearance, and as the
boys who then sported Oh the green
are getting fewer and fewer every day
1t is we'll worth the while to get from
those with us a picture of this old
landmark of u city for those who
come after us. The square takes its
name, as is well known, from the
Congo negroes who used to perform
their dance on its sward every Sun
day. They were a curious people,
and brought over with them this
remnant of their African jungles. In
Louisiana there were six different
tribes Of negroes, named after the sec
ton OF countryfrom which they came,
and their representatives could be
seen on the square, their teeth filed,
and their cheeks still bearing the
tattoo marks. The majority of our
city negroes came from the Kraals, a
numerous tribe which dwelt in stock
AIDES. We had here the Minahs, q
proud, digni6ed, warlike race; the
Congos, a treacherous, shrewd, relent-
less people; the Mandringas, a branch
Of the Congos; the Gangas, named af-
ter the river ofthat name, from which
they had been taken; the Hiboas,
callek by the missionaries the Owls
a %sullen, intractable tribe, and the
Foulas, the highest type Of the Afri-
can, with but few Representative here.
The slave trade, which had been abol-
ished in 1901, was stillkept up until
as late as late as 1915 by cruisers
which ran up the bayous and %lagoons
Astounding on our coast, and safely de-
posted their cargoes at appointed
places. Bayou Barataria was a regu-
lar thoroughfare for this trade.
These were the people hal one
would meet on the square about 1916
and 1917. TWAS a gala occasion, these
Sundays in those years, not less than
two or three thousand people would
c%ongregate to see the dusky dancers.
A low fence iiclosed the square, and
on each street there gas a little gate
and turnstille. There were n o trees
there then, and the ground was worn
bare by the feet Of the people. About
three o'clock the negroes began to
gather, each nation taking their places
in different parts of the square. The
Minahs would not dance near the
Congos, nor the Mandringos near the
Gangas. Presently the music would
strike up, and the parties would pre-
pare for the sport. Each set had its
own orchestra. The instruments were
a peculiar kind of banjo, made of a
Louisiana gourd, several drums made
of a gum stump dug out, with a sheep
skin head, and beaten with the fingers,
and two jawbones of a horse,
which, when shaken, would rattle the
loose teeth, keeping time with the
drums. About eight negroes, four
male and four female, would make a
set, and generally they were but scant
lily clad. 1t took some little time be-
lore the tapping Of the drums would
arouse the dull and sluggish dancers.
but when the point of excitement
came, nothing can faithfully portray
the gild and frengied motions they
would go through. Backward and
forward, this way and that, now to-
gether and now apart, every motion
intended to convey the most sensual
ideas. As the dance progressed the
drums were thrpmmed faster and
faster, the |contortions became more
grotesque, until sometimes in frenzy
the men and women would fall faint
ing to the ground. All this was going
on with a dense crowd looking on.
and with the hot sun pouring its tor
rid rays on the infatuated actors of
this curious ballet.
After one set had become fatigued
they would drop out to be replaced by
Others, and then stroll off to the
groups of some other tribe In a differ
ent portion Of the square. Then it was
that trouble would commence, and 4
Tegglag sat,tQ with short sticks fol-
lowed between the men, and broken
heads ended the days entertainment.
On the sidewalks around the square
the old negresses, with their spruce
beer end pralines Of peanuts, cocoa
nuts and popcorn, did a thriving trade.
and now and then beneath petticoats
bottles of tafa, a kind of Louisiana
rum, peeped out, of which the gen
darmes Mere obllyiogs, When the
sun went down a stream of people
poured out Of the turnstiles, and the
gendarmes walking through the square
would order the dispersion of the
negroes, and by gun-fre, at 9 o'clock,
the place was well nigh deserted.
These dances were kept up until about
1919 but not later. subsequently.
however, the descendants OF the orig
lDal Africans got up an imitation, but
1t could not compare to the weird
orgie Of their ~progenitors.
--
"YOung America