The record-union., 1891-03-08
CARNIVAL SPORTS IN PERU.

The Sports and Frolics of the
Merry-Makers.
Cascarones and Squirt Guns = Indian
Songs and Dances-Burying the
| Spirit of the Season on tho Eve of
Ash Wednesday.
| Especial Correspondence of SUNDAY UNION.
AREoUIPA, Peru, 1891.
Should stranger, unacquainted with
the carnival customs of Peru, chance to
arrive in Arequipa during that merriest
and maddest carousal of the year, he
| would think the whole city had gone
crazy. The railway station is situated in
the suburbs. a mile or more from the ho-
tells, and, there being neither public nor
private carriages, he must walk that dis
tance or ride up in the horse-cars. Either
way would be bad enough during carni-
val time, but the latter presents the adj
vantage of somewhat shortening his mis-
cry. AS prisoners among savages are
sometimes compelled to run the gantlet
of blows rained upon them with thorns,
cudgels, tire-b brands or spear-points, those
abroad in Peru during the three days
preceding Ash Wednesday are pelted
with egg shells hurled from all points OF
the compass, deluged with buckets of
| blood-red water thrown from balconies
and house-tops, covered with flour col
Ored in all the hues of the rainbow and
| besides these indignities are liable to have
their noses tweaked, their hats jammed
over their ears, and a thousand tricks
and jokes perpetrated upon them by a
Jeering crowd Of convivial creatures in
strange attire, many of them with hoofs,
horns and forked tails, who look like so
many imps direct from the internal
regions.
The horse cars, passing at rare intervals,
are convenient target from every side,
and the luckless passengers cannot take
to their heels as pedestrians might. The
drivers, knowing well what to expect,
are swathed in oii-cloth from top to toe,
and each is additionally protected by an
umbrella-like screen rugged up over
head; but though he whip his horses to
their utmost speed, those inside the car
are sure Of rather rough treatment, for
the carnival players have ample time to
prepare their batteries and turn them full
force into the approaching vehicle.
To have realizing sense Of this alleged
and the frogs-the reader may imagine
the principal streets Of his own city
packed with maskers bent on merry mis-
chief-people on the pavements, bal
comics and house-tops excited to the high
est pitch of reckless fun, with precedent
and custom to uphold their widest ex-
cesses; while not only the most staid and
dignified citizens, but mischievous small
boys, children and servants are privi-
| legged to sling water, at libitun,, upon
anybody. There is no use getting angry,
however despitefully used, for one cam
not fight a whole cityfull; and nothing
delights the belligerents more than to get
hold OF a victim who RACES and wants to
whip the crowd.
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 boarding
its egg-shells, with an especial view to
cascarones 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 cos
tunes. What golden opportunities those
mad revels afford for the tabooed lover to
boldly enter the home of his sweetheart
under the shadow Of 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 fanilaaS-
much as those warning households in old
Verona, the Montagues and Capulets, be-
came so fatally mixed up under similar
circumstances! During all that lover-en-
couraging season there are semi-public
balls in every casa, and the "gilded
youth (gilded age, too, tor that matter
masked and in fancy dress, go around
from house to house, dancing awhile and
taking refreshment in each, till dawning
sends them home for few hours SUM-
! Der. The maskers generally perambulate
in companies, headed by a leader of
known responsibility, who discloses 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 on the contrary, the more a
house is thronged with various COM
panies of maslers, the more its inmates
plume themselves on being social IA
vOrites. Young and old join in the dance,
| from the father down to the children, and
it is not uncommon to see the grayhaired
| grandmother swinging around the Sdto
| IN the arms of some unknown young
blood disguised as a wild Indian, a
knight, prince, or devil. OF course
efforts are made to discover who the
guests really are, and the latter disguise
their voices by adopting the pitched,
squeaking tone of actors in Chinese
theater.
The rough-and-tumble time begins in
earnest on Sunday, when, till the eve of
Ash Wednesday, the streets are trans
formed into perfect pandemonium, and
no lady dares venture out between the
hours of 10 A. NJ. and in the afternoon.
The people are about evenly divided into
besieged and besiegers. Those inside the
houses, including all females, have pre-
pared barrels, bath-tubs and tanks of
water colored ruby-red; while the prin-
cipal weapons of the belligerents are eggs,
emptied of their original contents through
small hole in one end, refilled with red
water, flour or powder, and carefully
sealed up again with cloth or paper. These
are called cdScaToneS, and one may buy
bushels of them at the average rate of 81
per hundred.
The great endeayor of the men In the
streets is to 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 protected by
canvas curtains, behind which the be-
sieged may dodge when too closely
pressed. The lords of creation come on
foot and ON horseback, in groups, in bat
talions and singly, to lombard with eggs
the casas of their lady friends, who return
| the fire with interest from their house
tops and balconies; and the gentle senor-
ita considers herself most highly COM
lplimented when the greatest number of
eggs smash squarely in her face. The
eminently 'swell" thing is to go around
on horseback, closely followed by serv-
ant, also ON horse, carrying big basket