CHARACTERS. 



593 



other, with their arms extend- 

 ed, and one foot in the air ; this 

 posture they suddenly seize, and 

 hold the moment the different 

 changes have exhausted the tune, 

 and in perfect accord with the last 

 sound of the guitar ; tlie applauses 

 of the audience then most re- 

 sound. The suitable dress to this 

 national dance is a-lo'inajo, as 

 used in the bull-feast?, and any 

 other would be out of character. 

 This dance partakes of the horn- 

 pipe of the English, the trescone 

 of the Tuscans, the furlana of the 

 Venetians, the corrente of the 

 Monserrines, and the minuet of 

 the French, and is varied both by 

 slow and quick time. 



The fandango is another of their 

 national dances, also performed by 

 a couple, but difficult to conceive 

 by any but a spectator. It is of 

 much quicker time than the bo- 

 lero, but equally accompanied by 

 the voice and guitar, and a quick 

 rolling time beat by the castenets 

 at every cadence. The dancers 

 wheel about, approach each other 

 with a fond eagerness, then 

 quickly retire, again approach, 

 whilst every limb appears in such 

 motion, as may be called, with 

 propriety, a regular and harmo- 

 nious convulsion of the whole 

 body ; but it is rather a quick 

 equal striking of the feet and toes 

 on the ground, than graceful and 

 continued steps. The chande is 

 the outre of this dance, but can- 

 not be looked upon with the eye 

 of modesty, Tonadillas, segue- 

 dillas, boleros, and tyranas, are the 

 general national songs ; but there 

 are many provincial styles, such 

 as the Malaguesia, &c. — These 

 dances, though sometimes met in 

 Spanish America, arenotthosege- 

 VoL. LII. 



nerally used in society ; they have 

 adopted the waltz, besides the Spa- 

 nish country dance, which is ex- 

 tremely graceful, and more compli- 

 cated, but not so monotonous as 

 our own, though the time is slower. 

 To visit the dances of the peo- 

 ple of colour, particularly those of 

 Haiti, or many who are mixed 

 and blended with the natives of 

 Hispaiiola, is to be transported 

 into a circle of lascivious bac- 

 chantes ; the motion of the foot is 

 no longer attended to, the time is 

 beat with a rapid precision of 

 movement and volubility of reins, 

 that would almost bid defiance to 

 the powers of mechanism ; which, 

 though it disgusts by obscenity, 

 astonishes by the gesture and acti- 

 vity displayed. 



The lower order of the Spanish 

 people of colour, accompany their 

 grotesque dances with yells, and 

 music created out of slips of hard 

 sounding wood, or a furrowed ca- 

 labash, scraped quickly with a 

 thin bone ; the baujo, rattles made 

 by putting small pebbles into a 

 calabash, the teeth fixed in the jaw- 

 bone of a horse, scraped with ra- 

 pid motion, and the drum. The 

 steps are singular and obscene, the 

 whole accompaniment and style 

 appear to be derived from the 

 African Congos and Ifidian Din 

 mixed, and is the usual ceremony 

 on the death of a relation, which 

 they solemnize like the gypsies in 

 Spain, with dances and music. 

 The greateslcompliment the lover 

 pays his favourite in the dance 

 for her graceful action, is to put 

 his hat from his own, on her head, 

 to wear during the evening, and 

 which she generally returns by 

 presenting him with a lighted 

 segar, from her own stock. 

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