Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-31
Dancing and Music in Persia.


Two girls come forward slowly-for the
true Oriental is never in Il hurry-remove
their chdgdts, or head covering, and bow to
the assembled guests. For some seconds
they stand quite motionless, then the eye
lids begin to move, and by degrees each
muscle commences TO culver until every
limb is affected. Although all present,
with the exception of myself, had seen this
thousand times before, no sooner had the
dancers advanced than the attention of
every one was engrossed. The performers
then bent their heads gradually back until
they almost touched the ground, then they
raised themselves and leaned forward until
they sank down upon their knees, still
quivering in every muscle, until at length
they lay prone on the ground. For
some seconds they remained there quite
motionless, as though animation were en-
tirely suspended. The first sign Of return
ing life was to move the heads from side to
side, the quiverins motion recon-
mences, and the dancers assume their
upright position and break into
sort of badly-danced polka. This native
dancing might almost be called song
illustrated by gestures and posturing rather
than dancing in our acceptation of the
word. These song dances are usually ac-
companied by din of tom-toms, or a
squeaking sort of violin, but played by the
fingers only; the sounds produced are mon
otonous, and not pleasing to European
ears; the movements Of the dancers are
marked by castanets. Persian music and
singing are very different to our Western
ideas of harmony, and the rendering of
song so ridiculous being more Il series of
grimaces and contortions than melodious
information. Yet Persians rave about their
music Just as they do about the sweetness
of their fruits, the beauty of their women,
the fertility of their country, and have
no doubt that our music is Just as discord-
ant to their ears as theirs is to ours. Night
after night they will sit up at these and
similar entertainments which to us would
be unexpectedly tedious, and this music
and singing will hold them breathless and
unwearied. The tamborine is very fav-
orite instrument. 1t is held upon the lap
and is played by striking the tightly
stretched skin with the second and third
fingers of the right hand and the four
fingers of the left hand-London Society.
Paul. JONES AND THE COUNTESS TEA
PoT.-In early days Kirkcudbright town
was port of some little Importance, with
a foreign trade and with ships that often
passed the Pillars of Hercules and brought
home the spoils of the East from the Le-
want. "Ane rich towne full of merchan-
disc was Kirkcaldy, according to Hector
Boece, and as recently as the early part OF
II X .rl-a flu hnI
trade with the West Indies, and casks of
rum and sugar and negro servants from the
plantations were not unknown upon its
quays. 4 West Indian vessel Mailing from
Kirkcaldy was commanded by one Paul
Jones, son of the head gardener on the
lovely grounds of the Earl of Selkirk, in
st. Mary's Isle. Some difficulty with the
carpenter of the ship, ending in the car
penter's violent death, was the cause, ac-
cording to Pauls enemies, of Captain
Jones deserving his native land and taking
the side of the American colonists in their
struggle with the mother country. How
Paul Jones, with his tiny squadron, defied
the naval power of England and insulted
her flag along her own coasts is familiar to
every reader of Cooper or Allan Cunning
ham. But a curious incident was the visit
OF the Captain to the scenes of his youth
and his descent upon st. Mary's Isle, when
the sailors cleared the Earl of Selkirk's
residence of its plate, carrying off even the
silver teapot from which the Countess was
about to partake of her Bohea In justice
to Paul it must be said that he had not
authorized the plumber, and he subse-
quently returned every article taken, in
Guiding the silver teapot, which the Count
ess long preserved-tea leaves and alias
a memorial of the event. A story is in
this connection told against the burgesses
of Kirkcudbright, how after long and ear
nest deliberation, while the enemo's craft
was lying in the bay, they summoned up
resolution as night drew on to train a gun
against the ship, and even to fire it off.
Upon which, the rebel ship making no re-
ply, the townspeople came TO the conclu-
sion that they had disabled her, and, to
complete the good work and send her alto
gether to the bottom, they fired round after
round till the mornings dawn revealed the
fact that the rebels had sailed silently
away, and that the objective of this can
nonade, which seemed little the worse for
its pounding, was tall rock that stood
forth from the middle of the bay.-An the
Year Round
PAPER PLATEs-A daring landlord in
Berlin last year introduced paper plates
Bread and butter, cakes, and similar
articles were served on a pretty paper
mache plate having border in relief and
closely resembling porcelain. The land
lord liked them because they were so
cheap they could be throYn away after
once using; walters liked them for their
lightness and because they were neither
to be washed nor broken, and guests were
delighted 70 take them away as souvenirs.
Housewives viii cordially welcome the in
PRODUCTION Of this sort Of table furniture
into America.-Es.