424 JAMAICA. 



ufing both' with a briik. motion ; whilft a fecond performer beats 



with all his might on the fheep-flcin, or tabor. 



Their tunes for dancing are ufually brilk, and have an agreeable 

 compound of the vhace and larghetio, gay and grave, purfued al- 

 ternately. They feem alio well-adapted to keep their dancers in 

 juft time and regular movements. The female dancer is all lan- 

 guiihing, and eafy in her motions ; the man, all a(5lion, fire, and 

 gefturej his whole perfon is varioufly turned and writhed every 

 moment, and his limbs agitated with fuch lively exertions, as ferve 

 to difplay before his partner the vigour and elafliicity of his mufcles. 

 The lady keeps her face towards him, and puts on a modeft demure 

 look, which (he counterfeits with great difficulty. In her paces 

 (he exhibits a wonderful addrefs, particularly in the motion of her 

 hips, and fteady pofition of the upper part of her perfon: the right 

 execution of this wriggle, keeping exait time with the mufic, is 

 efteemed among them a particular excellence ; and on this account 

 they begin to pra£life it fo early in life, that few are without it in 

 their ordinary walking. As the dance proceeds, the mufician in- 

 troduces now and then a paufe or reft, or dwells on two or three 

 fiani[fimo notes ; then ftrikes out again on a fudden into a more 

 Spirited air; the dancers, in the mean while, correfponding in 

 their movements with a great corrednefs of ear, and propriety of 

 attitude; all w^hich has a very pleafing effed. 



In the towns, during Chriftmas holidays, they have feveral tall 

 robuft fellows drefled up in grotefque habits, and a pair of ox- 

 horns ou their head, fprouting from the top of a horrid fort of 

 vizor, or malk, which about the mouth is rendered very terrific 

 with large boar-tufks. The mafquerader, carrying a wooden 

 fword in his hand, is followed with a numerous croud of drunken 

 women, who refrelh him frequently with a fup of anifeed-water, 

 whilft he dances at every door, bellowing out yohn Connul with great 

 vehemence ; fo that, what with the liquor and the exercife, moft 

 of them are thrown into dangerous fevers ; and fome examples have 

 happened of their dying. This dance is probably an honourable 

 memorial of Jolm Conny, a celebrated cabocero at Tres Puntas, 

 in Axim, on the Guiney coaft ; who flourhhed about the year 1720. 

 He bore great authority among the Negros of that diftrid. When 



the 



