The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-11
THE CONGO DANCE.
How New Orleans CougOs Amused
Themselves sixty Years Ago.
New Orleans Picayune.I

AxO~ TNOvN VEACanS SSnASD
Themselves sixty Years Ago.
New Orleans Picayune.l
The lazy tinkle of the bell on the car
mules, the drowsy drumming of the ci-
eade on the tall sycamore trees, and the
green fiat of sunlit grass trembling be-
meath the warm afternoons rays, made
Congo Square yesterday anything but a
cool retreat -
Sixty years ago, on Sunday after
noon, Congo Square would present very
different appearance, and as the boys
vino then sported on the green are get
ting fewer and fewer every day, it Is
well worth the while to get from those
with us picture of this old landmark
of our 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
Sunday. They were curious people,
and brought over with them this REM
nant of their African jungles.
In Louisiana there were six different
tribes of negroes, named after the section
Of country from which they came, and
their representatives could be seen on the
square, their teeth filed and their cheeks
still bearing the tattoo marks. The ma
jority of our city negroes came from the
Kraels, numerous tribe who dwell in
stockades. We had here the Minaas, a
proud, dignifed, warlike race; the Con-
gos, a treacherous, shrewd, relentless peo-
pie; the Mandringas, a branch OF the
Congos; the Ganeas, named after the
river of that name, from which they had
been taken; the Hiboas, called by the
missionaries the "Owls," a sullen, in
tractable tribe, and the Foulas, the high
est type of the African, with but few
representatives here. The slave trade,
which had been abolished in 1907, was
still kept up until as late as 1S45 by
cruisers which ran up the bayous anc
lagoons abounding on our coast, anc
safely deposited their cargoes at ap
pointed places. Bayou Barataria was
regular thoroughfare for this trade.
These were the people that one woult
meet on the square about 1916 or 1917
It was a gala occasion. these Sundays il
those years, and not less than 1000 O
5000 people would congregate to see tn
dusky dancers. A low fence inclosed thu
square, and on each street there was ;
little gate and turnstile. There were III
trees there then, and the ground wa
worn bare by the feet of the people
About o'clock the negroes began II
gather, each nation taking their places IL
different parts Of the square. The Minaa
would not dance near the CongOs, nor tn
Mandringas near the Gangas.
Presently the music would strike u
and the parties would prepare for tn
sport. Each set had its own orchestrs
The instruments were peculiar kind Q
banjo made Of Louisiana gourd, sewers
drums made of gum stump dug ou
, with sheepskin head, and beaten wit
the fingers, and two jawbones Of hors'
which, when shaken, would rattle tn
loose teeth, keeping time with th
drums. ......" .a..
. About eight negroes-four male an
four femaIe--would make a set, and gel
orally they were but scantily clad.
4 took some little time before the tappin
= of the drums would arouse the dull an
:. sluggish dancers, but when the point {
I excitement came nothing can faithful
. portray the wild and frenzied motion
! they would go through. Backward an
4 forward, this way and that, now togetht
9 and now apart, every motion intended
: convey the most sensual ideas.
l As the dance progressed, the drum
s thrummed faster and faster, the conto
:. tions became more grotesque, until som
times in frenzy the men and wome
I would fall fainting to the ground. A
: this was going with dense crowd loo
! ing on and with hot sun pouring i
/ torrid rays on the infatuated actors
+ this curious ballet -
e After one set had become fatigue
r they would drop out to be replaced |
+ others, and then stroll off to the grou
e of some other tribe in different pc
e ton of the square. Then it was tn
D. trouble would commence, and regul
set-to with short sticks followed betwet
s. the men, and broken heads ended Il
II days entertainment. On the sidewal
n around the square the old negresses, wi
r their spruce Beer and pralines of peanu
4 cocoanuts and popcorn, did a thrivil
r trade, and now and then beneath pet
r, coats bottles of tafia, kind of Louisial
1t rum, peeped out, Of which the gendarm
le were oblivious. - IN. .
lg When the sun went down stream
4 people poured out of the turnstiles, al
le the gendarmes walking through t
7; square would order the dispersion of t
y negroes, and by gun-fre, at 9 o'clock, t
"a place was well nigh deserted The
at dances were kept up until about 1S1
'g but not later. Subsequently, howev'
IS the descendants of the original Africa
lg got up an imitation, but it could n
lie compare to the weird orgle of their p
oenitnrs.