New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-11
MALTESE JOLLITY.
EPISODES OF THE CARNIVAL.
lfnoM An oCCAstONAL CORRESPONDENT OF rtIE TRrBr'
III I

ing this year. A hamonfdna was let loose
Malta on the very first day, and the cold was too
intense to allow of any but the last day of the four
to be at all amusing or enjoyable. The sun shore
brightly on Tuesday and the people came ont in
thousands. that the scene became reasonably
gay. Men, women and children of all sorts and
conditions throng,d the Palace Square and Strada
Reale, the good humor. and quiet dcmeanor of the
struggling masses being az cpmmendabe as
remarkable Now and then a Maltese with too
mnch colorinc matter in bis skin would set out to
paint some qnet English soldiers Jacket deeper
red than the army regulations prescribed, but
before he could get in any real striking effects
swarm of policemen would settle down Oh him and
carry him writhingly off to the chokcc." The
chief proceeding of the deterorated Carnival
seemed to he n procession of carriages. four
wheeers !" and donkey carts, with here and there
feeble cavalcade of mounted men grOtesqucly
dressed, that wound rather drearilv round and
round a prescribed number of blocks In the
carriages were the better class of celeDrants in
dominos and masks, IN the four wheclers were the
common run, all peltng and being pelted by the
spectators the streets and in the balconies. The
comi,s used III peting were of large and rather
dangerous size. and many IA chap in town the
morning of Ash Wednesday had bruised eyes and
lame arms to show for lack Of caution or over
enthusiastic activity. In the twD-tieied balconies
Of one house on Strada Reale behind which half Il
dozen of the prettiest Of the singers belonging TO
the Royal Opera stationed, every pane o:
glass smashed out and the blind front of the
building rescmbled tho face of a man fresh from
smallpox hospital. The Union Club is just opposite
this house and bushels of cOmfits were fred by the
British officers in its windows into the windows of
the half frantic aud wholly jolly prima donne
sOprani, mczzo sopranl and contrdIt
1t struck odd thing that so many
Maltese young men were given to arrayng them
selves in female garments with bracelets, earrings,
necklaces and other dneres all complete. One fat
young man wore a low-necked ladies' evening
dress. His shapely arms bare to the
shoulders white kids were the hands. which held
a feathcrcd fan and lace handkerchief; and satin
slippers and high piled hair complete his toilet
have reason to think that more tnan one woman
envicd that daring young man his plump. fair neck
and arms His carriage ana the management of his
train were inmitabe and elected brdrds and
showers of confetti | hope lie didn't have TO 20
into hospital next day.
The truth is the Carnival is the only secular holt
day season of the Matese-the other numerous
festivals of the year plously celebrated III the
island being of religions character. The more
picturesque and extrayagant diversions that used
to make Maltese Carnival famous for its elaborate
last few years. The average Engshman looks
upon its extrlvagances aud noises and foOng
with contempt and ridicule and declares that the
whole business should be summarily squclched as
Cd nonsense. don't you know" They don't take
INTO consideration the Southern character and
habits of the Maltese, and this lack of sympathy
does good deal toward keeping up certain mis-
understanding between a class OF the islanders and
the Ango-Saxons that eighty-fonr years OF com
minglIng ought 90 have dissi pated. The English
and Maltese seldom internarry, although u
daughter OF one of the Oldest families in England is
happily married TO the cobrtly and distinguished
Chief Justice of Malta-stll as rule such mar
RACES aro very infrequent. "Tommy Atkins 4"
sometimes falls into the coils of some dark ey ed
houri who has coquetted with him out of her nun
like 6idcfia and marries her. and has children, and
occasionally takes her home to En- land with his
regiment; but from the number of grass widows
left in the island | have come TO- doubt that the
majority OF such alliances are permanent. Even
the Maltese speak of the offspring of an English
soldier AMI a Maltese woman as "half-breeds,' and
the tone they use in the expression hasn't sounded
to me encouracingly complimentary.
There are many Maltese and civilian English who
pretend to ind pleasure i'll the Carnival but
before the four days are passed those same
g,.rinhlers If the weather be fine find themselves
the frolickng Us the most inyetcrate fun seeker
Among the really attractive companies OF merry
makers that appeared the streets were the
| q" Na,cottesr and the Donna Juanit1s." the two
companies beng dressed III the costumes OF the
operas they represented ana headed by TWO Maltese
| bands. There also another gayly dressed
| cnluinn representing characters III tue opera oil
| BoccacclOn While the bands played the singers
| SANG AMI the silk banners III various c0l0tS we're
carried alolt along the march. The morrls-dancero
| exhibited their agility aud handsome costumes on
| The Palace SuuaIe aud the less crowded streets
always followed and surrounded 10y dense g.rGle
| of applaudng spectators. These dancers, all men,
danced beautifully. TO my thinking they were the
most attractive and least offensive performances OF
! tie whole show. The Maltese bag-plpcs. made OF
! pgskn the body and ilmbs OF the pig being
| dstended to It's natural shape. with tanbourlne
| accompan ment, were out as Usual anu had their
| special admirng followers. lhesc plB-shln DhhuS
| are of very ancient origin and are an heirloom
| from the Maltese of the twelfth century. Inc
| music is doeiul in tue eXtrtmc. tue tambourue
PLAYER bending his body close to the gIonnd a. he
| rallies and beats his instrument, occasionally
shifting his face with il like nigger" minstrel
| They move along very slowly at the rate Ol about
| "a III 10 i'm five or SIX hours.
Then there were boys composing tin bands who
carried two-penny trumpets ami whose Grulls ana
| cymblls were made from American petroleum
| cases The combination made noise that would
| have shamed a Baxter-st. Fourth OF July pando-
| moniun There was one rather artistic affair
called the Panses." consisting of large Flanders
wagon dccked up TO represent "a colossal nowcI,pot
| growing a gigantic tree whose braches bore
| OVergrOWn panSles ABOUT lHlce lttl III Nldh'tNi.
Four mules dressed in cloths OF the cOlOTs OF pans
| drew the unique arrangement and the TWO
postilops on the saddle mules were dressed 10 look
| like panses were the eight occupants Oh TIE
| tower-pot Their dress consisted OF green shoes,
violet tights green shirts overtopped by loose
green blouse tied at the waist, green gloves ana
| Yellow wire mask around which stood ont wine
| colored leaves 1t was all capital and ingenious.
Along the route of >trada Reae the pansleS IN the
co5tts INTO the crowds on both sides of the street
and into the windows and balconies. While
passiug the Union Club the wagon was stopped and
| The " Pansiesr turned a heavy bUmbardment upon
| the British officers. who returned tho attack but
were handsomely beaten by tue superior tire OF the
wagon load. These two-legked pansies stood ank .
deep in candies and they must have discharged
several hnndrcdw weight of the same during their
progress / saw one timid little army chaplain IN
fever Of iriyoty that he actually seized pea-szed
| comtt and threw it the sidewalk. lie bluShed