Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07
CARNIVAL SPORTS.
The Wild Spirit That Pervades Peru
Just Before Lent.
FRoLICs OF MERRY MAsKERs.
They Take Possession of the Streets and Bonn
bard Everybody With Cascarones and Squirt
Guns-Burying the Spirit Of the season on
the Eve Of Ash Wednesday.


From The sts-s Traveiirz Commissioner
AREQvIPs. PERu, 1891.
SHoCLD A STRANGER. UNACQUAINTED
~ With the carnival customs Of Peru. chance
to arrive in Arequipa during that merries. and
madi'iest caroIsal of the year lie xould think
the whole city had gone crazyI The railway
station is situated in the suburbs, mile or
more from the hotels, and--thers being neither
pnbiic nor private carriages-ke must walk
that distance ride up in the horse cars
Either way would be bad enough during car
niyal time, but the latter presents the advsn-
tase Of somewhat shortening his misery. As
prisoners among savsges sometimes
compelled to run the gauntlet of blows rained
upon them with thorns. cudgels, frebrands
spear points. those abroad in Peru dur
ing the three days preceding Ash Wednesday
are pelted with egg-shells hurled from all points
OF the compass. deluged with buckets of blood
Ted water thrown from balconies and house
tops. covered with -four colored in all the hues
of the rainIGw; and besides these indignities
are liable to have their noses tweaked, their
hats jammed over their ears and thousand
tricks and jokes perpetrated upon them by a
jeOring crowd Of convivial creatures in strange
attire. many of them with hoofs, horns and
forked tails. who look like so many imps direct
from tie inferno. regions.
HORSE CARS ARE CONVENIENT TARGETS.
The horse cars, passing at rare intervals, are
q convenient target from every side and the
luckless passengers cannot take to their heels
az pedestrians might. The drivers, knowing
well what to expect. swathed in oilcloth
from top to toe. and each Is additionally pro-
tected BY an umbrella-like screen rugged up
overhead; but though he whip his horses to
their utmost speed, those inside the car are
sure Of rather rough treatment, for the carni-
IL
batteries and turn them full force into the ap-
preaching vehicle.
To have a realizing sense Of this alleged
"spOrt'-so ike that between the boys and the
frogs-the reader may imagine the principal
streets of his own city packed with maskers
bent on merry mischief-people on the pave
ments, balconies and house tops excited to the
highest pitch of reckless fun, with precedent
and custom to uphold their widest excuses,
while not only the mcst staid and dignified cit
liens, but mischievous small boys, children ard
servants are privileged to sling water ad lib
itum upon nybody. There is no use getting
angry. however Gespitefully used. for one can
not fight whole city full. and nothing delights
the belligerents more than to get hold of vic
tim who RACES and wants TO whip the crowd.
THE Fun LASTS WEEK.
As before mentioned, carnival ends with Ash
Wednesday. and though only two or three days
are devoted to street battles the fun begins a
week before. During the whole year every
household in the land has been carefully hoard
ing its egg shells. with an especial view to cas-
carones for this occasion, while every senorita
has longed impatiently for its promised gaieties,
and the gallant dOns have mapped out their
compaignes and planned their grotesque or
stunning costumes What golden opportuni-
ties those mad revels afford for the tabooed
lover to boldly enter the home Of his sweet
heart under the friendly shelter of a domino
even to clasp her in his arms in the waltz and
whisper honeyed words in her ear, right before
the eyes Of stern pater familias-much as
those warning households in old Verona the
Aontagues and Cspulets. became SO fatally
mixed MP under similar cireums .ancesi Dur
ing all that lOyer-eneouraging season there are
semfpublic balls In every casa. and the ''gilded
youth lgllded age, too, for that matterl
masked and In fancy dress, go around from
house to house. dancing awhile and taking re-
treatment In each-till dawning sends them
home for few hours slumber. The maskers
generally perambulate in companies, headed
oy leader of known respectabilty. who dis
closes his own identity to the master of each
house and vouches for the good conduct of
his followers. No doors are closed against
them. but the contrary the more a
house Is thronged with various companies Of
maskers. the more its inmates plume themselves
on being social favOrites. Young and old ioin
IN the dance. from the father down to the ehii-
dren. ard II II not uncommon to see the gray
haired grandmother swinging around the sala
IN the arms OF some unknown young blood dis
guised as 4 wild Indian, knight a prince or
devil or course, effor . are made to discover
who the guests really are, ard the latter dis
gulse their voices by adopting the high-pitched
squeaking tone Of actors in a Chinese theatsr.
THE RoCGH-ASD-TCMBLE TIME BEGINS SUNDAY.
The rough-and-tumble time begins in earnest
on Sunday, when. til the eve of Ash wednes-
day, the streets are transformed into . perfect
psndemonium and no lady dares venture out
between the hours Of 10 am and in the af-
ternoon- The people are about evenly divided
into besieged and besiegers. Those inside the
houses. including all females, have prepared
barrels. bath tubs and tanks of water colored
ruby red, while the principal weapons Of the
peiilgerents are eggs, emptied Of their original
contents through a small hole in one end re-
niied with red water. -four or powder and care
InHy sealed up again with cloth or paper
Ihese are called cascarones and one may buv
bushels Of them at tie average rate OF 81 per
hundred
The great endeavor Of the men in the streets
ss 20 force an entrance into the houses and of
those inside to keep them out. Every shop is
closed. every door locked and window barred
and most Of the balconies are partially pro-
teted BY canvas curtains, behind which the
be-lesed may dodge when too closely pressed
The lords Of creation come in foot and on
norseoaek In groups. in battalions and singly.
70 lombard with eggs the casas Of their lady
friends, who return the fire with interest from
tneir house tops and balconies and tine gentle
senorita considers herself most highly compli-
mented when the greatest number of eggs
smash squarely In her face. The eminently
swell thing IL to go around on horseback
closely followed by y servant also on horse
carrying big basket of eggs. comparatively
recent innovation III the way OF water throw
ing u the use Of enormous tin syringes or
squirt guns. by which considerable stream
may be sent some distance with great force
HOW THEY GAIN ENTRANCE TO HOUSES
The men endeayor by every means. forcible
And strategic, TO gain entrance to the houses
They bring ladders and climb TO the balconies
or shin up coavenisnt pillars OF run like cats
from roof TO roof anu drop down into inner
court yards. or. failing In every other method
number viii retreat few yards. then. start
Ing together on a run, il storming a battery
VIII actually kick or push a door from It's
tastenlng-- once inside the mischief that NAV
Dc accomplished In few minutes is terrific
| the highly excitable people becoming perfectly
| reckless Sometimes the esieged or the be-
slsgers turn the hose lose. full hess d. in the
dining room or psrlor. till the whole premises
ioOk hike the few houses that re-
manned standing after the Johnstown
hood. The women ny. shrieking. 20 hide
themselves, closely pursued by the men, and
woe betlde one who is caught. be -Le TIE most
9ignlned senora or the belle of last night ball
der male friends and admirers drag her to the
nearest wsterspout. tank or bath tub and
nearly drown her They pour dippers Of water
down her back. sprinkle -four and pink powder
fn her hair and cover her with pcrfumerv
- m h.