La Vérette.
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having the form of an oval and regular human face ;—and they disguise the wearer absolutely, although they can be seen through perfectly well from within. It struck me at once that this peculiar type of wire mask gave an indescribable tone of ghostliness to the whole exhibition. It is not in the least comical ; it is neither comely nor ugly; it is colorless as mist,—expressionless, void, dead;—it lies on the face like a vapor, like a cloud,— creating the idea of a spectral vacuity behind it. . . . VII. . . . N o w comes the band of the Intrépides, playing the bouèné. It is a dance melody,—also the name of a mode of dancing, peculiar and unrestrained;—the dancers advance and retreat face to face; they hug each other, press together, and separate to embrace again. A very old dance, this,—of African origin ; perhaps the same of which Père Labat wrote in 1 7 2 2 :— — " It is not modest. Nevertheless, it has not failed to become so popular with the Spanish Creoles of America, and so much in vogue among them, that it now forms the chief of their amusements, and that it enters even into their devotions. They dance it even in their Churches, and in their Processions ; and the Nuns seldom fail to dance it Christmas Night, upon a stage erected in their Choir and immediately in front of their iron grating, which is left open, so that the People may share in the joy manifested by these good souls for the birth of the Saviour."*. . . * . . . " Cette danse est o p p o s é e à la p u d e u r . A v e c tout cela, elle n e laisse pas d'être tellement du g o û t des E s p a g n o l s Créolles de l ' A m é r i q u e , & si fort en usage parmi e u x , q u ' e l l e fait la meilleure partie de leurs divertissements, & q u ' e l l e entre m ê m e dans leurs d e v o t i o n s . Ils la dansent m ê m e dans leurs Églises & à leurs processions ; et les Religieuses ne m a n q u e n t guère de la danser la N u i t de N o ë l , sur un