Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/144

Rh always expresses a kind of bashfulness, mingled with a desire to charm, whilst, with downcast eyes, she turns herself round upon one spot with an air and a grace very much resembling a turkey-hen, whilst, with a neckkerchief or coloured handkerchief in her hand, sometimes one in each hand, she half drives away from her the advancing lover and half entices him to her—a mode of dancing, which, in its symbolic intention, would suit all nations and all classes of people, though—Heaven be praised—not all the beloved. The spectators stood in a ring around the dancers, one or two couples accompanying the dance with singing, which consisted of the lively, but monotonous, repetition of a few words which were given out by one person in the circle, who seemed to be a sort of improvisatore, and who had been chosen as leader of the song. Each time that a fresh couple entered the dance they were greeted by shrill cries, and the words and tune of the song were changed ; but both tune and voices were devoid of melody. It is difficult to imagine that these voices would develope that beauty, that incomparable, melodious purity, and this people, that musical talent which they have attained to in the Slave States of America. The wild African apple-tree has, when transplanted into American soil, ennobled both its nature and its fruit. The words of the singer were, I was told, insignificant, nor could I get any clue to their purport.

I have been told words used by French negro Creoles in their dances, which in their patois expressed a meaning which it seems to me would very well suit the negro dances here; they say—

The dance has no distinct divisions, no development, no distinct termination, but appears to be continuous variations of one and the same theme improvised, according