The Republican journal., 1896-01-30

A~ ~ S~NAA~S$AA ~
griddle. The leader meanwhile banged
away on his viola and chanted at the top
of his voice in a monotonous recitative,
in which the words Chama Rita and Bella
Mia frequently occurred; and the rest
joined the chant at intervals, swapping
their fingers high above their heads to
mark the time, as with castinets. The
dance consists of a polka step, with a
great deal of balancing to partners and
'1adies change and grand right and
left," not unlike our old-fashioned cotil-
lion; and occasionally they paired off for
ular sequence for the changes of the
| dance. AS the spirit moves them, the
participants, male and female, burst into
a loud recitative; at which the rest laugh
and applaud, and somebody else takes
| it up and adds to it in the same strain
This recitative, chanted to the tune of
the viola, is always improvised and is
made the vehicle for sharp personalities
or for good natured joking at the expense
of those who are suspected of being in
love and so the racket went on, the shout
ing of the song, the twanging of the viola,
the swapping of the fingers, until every
body was tired. Then, pending refresh
.ments and brief rest, each gentleman
asks his partner whom she desires to
wifi, IT ic bn
polite thing for her to signify wish to
continue with him; but if she prefers an
other, partner number one must go and
ask the more favored fellow to take his
place. There are other dances, notably
the Charamba and the Saudade. and the
gayesi of all, whose name | have forgot
ten, with which the ball is generally con-
Guided. 1t is not unlike our Virginia reel,
the dancers forming in line and galloping
down the middle by couples in series of
balancings marvellous to behold
The Azorean peasantry, poor and hard
worked as they seem to be, are extremely
fond of music, and nothing seems to give
them so much pleasure as stunning
upon viola. But the music always con-
sists of few monotonous strains, even
that of a love-lorn Romeo beneath their
sweetheart's windows. Another favorite
| recreation is the improvisation, where two
persons alternately sing rhymed couplets,
which they make up as they 60 along"
for the amusement of the listeners The
musical flow OF the language and the SIM
ilarities of the word ending or
o-render this an easy accomplishment
An American gentleman who recently Wis
tied these islands has this to say of the
poetic tournaments: "All nature seems
to inspire the rustic song The country
lads and lasses, and even when laboring
in the fields, challenge each other to met
rcal contests, and often two lovers. fields
apart, will sing to each other all day long
as cheerily as the canares and blackbirds
in the hedges around them. The shep-
herd boy will serenade ompanion on a
distant hill, using a rude sort of nstru-
ment made from a cows horn and a long
stem OF bamboo. upon this he pipes.
like the god Pan, in mellow tunes, until
the hills and valleys echo the sweet music
OF his yodel. Often man for lack of a
companion, will whistle each second verse
OF his song i'll a higher key, to represent
his mistress, or chant one line in bass
voice and the next in tenor, with the same
intent. So, too, the county dances are
performed, not alone to the melody OF the
guitars, but to the rythm of song as Well
and the Chamalita will set both voice and
feet and Swapping fingers in motion with
| It's merry, Voluptuous strains, whether
played in the public square, at the rural
huskings, or at the Sunday fandango in
some ilowery garden"
FANNIE B. WARD