JOTTINGS PROM A TRAVELLERS’ JOURNAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 932, 2 May 1883, Page 2

JOTTINGS PROM A TRAVELLERS’ JOURNAL.

WRITTEN SPECIALLY" FOE THE “ASHBURTON

GUARDIAN.”]

No. XYl.— (Concluded.) Before 1 describe the carnival, I must say a few words about the city. Nice was founded in the fifth century before the Christi in era, and called Nicsea. In the middle ages it was subject to the Dukes of Savoy, and subsequently to Sardinia. In 1860 it was annexed to France. At Nice the celebrated French General, Marshal Masaeoa,and the still more renowned Guiseppe Garibaldi were born. The Paglione (a river that is often but a rivulet running over a wide stony bed) divides the city into two parts. The old town, with its narrow unsavory lanes and alleys, lies on the left side and is devoid of interest. On the right bank a large modern city has sprung up : it is called the “ Strangers’ Quarter,” and is already larger that the old town. But for the impetus given by the influx of visitors every season, Nice would have remained comparatively insignificant and unknown. Broad avenues and costly buildings now mark the modern localities. The Avenue de la Gase is lined with handsome shops, and the Promenade des Anglais, with splendid hotels fronting thp sea. In the Rue de France a marble cross' commemorates the meeting of the Emperor Charles Y. and Francis I. : and not far off a column is intended to honor the memory of the bold old man Pio Nino, who promulgated the doctrine of the immaculate conception as of divine authority. A good military band.playsinjhe public gardens every afternooh for the pleasure of the promenaders. Out of season, Nice is like a deserted village, but during the season it is full of gaiety arid‘life. -' When I was there, on the eve of the carnival, it had all the hum and stir of a swarming hive.

Great preparations had been made for the carnival. All along the, line of-the procession handsome seats, something like grand stands on a racecourse, were erected to accommodate .spectators who were content to be'stationary, or disliked facing the crowd. From ten to forty francs wore demanded for a seat. Evjsry window affording a view became a source of revenue to the fortunate householder, just as in Fleet street or Cheapside, or other thoroughfares in London when a public procession or important spectacle is to be seen. - I preferred to take my chance amongst the crowd of pedestrians, and therefore resisted the pressing importunities of the owners of windows, and covered seats. King Carnival was to land at the Quai Midi at 8 “’clock oh‘the‘morning of Wednesday, 31st January. It was announced early in the day that His Majesty’s ship Lasagna had been sighted off the coast, and everyone was in gleeful expectation. But, alas ! the clerk of the weather had no sympathy with the intended revels. Ominous clouds began to gather in the afternoon, and- before evening set in peoples faces betrayed signs of troublous apprehension. Just before the appointed hour it began to rain—slightly /at first, but the wind soon rose to a gale/ and the rain descended in torrents. This destroyed the prestige of the opening ceremonies. The signal gun was fired! King Carnival and his suite landed and began their march. Rockets flew aloft, despite, the .moist and murky atmosphere, and strenuous efforts were made to carry eut the programme of the pageant. But the weather washed out all the'beauty of the display, and left but few spectators to witness the drenched and disfigured exhibition.

The next morning, however, was bright and brilliant, and long before the appointed hour for the renewal of the festival, everybody was astir. Every seat was occupied,: and such crowds thronged the thoroughfares along which the procession was to pass, that the police had great difSouity in keeping the crowd clear. Thousands of merry masqueraders perambulated the line of march, each provided with bags full of confetti, and ready for the affray. They were all disguised, some fantastically, and not a few. frightfully. No 6ne could safely venture out of doors without a protection for the face, as constant discharges of confetti were kept up from eveiy aide., These ‘ missiles —in shape like peas—made principally of lime with a little sugar, were thrown in handfuls, or with the help of a tin scoop, and might inflict; serious injury if the eyes and face of the person against whom they were thrown had been exposed. ~ j had provided myself with a peculiarly ugly masque. It seemed to attract special attention, for I W£3, pitilessly assailed both by the occupants of carriages and pedestrians. One masquerader, whoso diminutive feet betrayed her sesx, came boldly up, and with an exclamation I did not understand, deliberately thrust a scoop full of confetti into the mouth of my masque, thereby damaging one of my outer defences, an enormous projecting tooth.

But how shall I describe the grotesque —and yet in many respects grand—procession, so as to make it intelligible to my readers ? A string of vehicles of almost indescribable variety, decorated in draperies of divers colorst extended from the Quai Massena to the end of the Promenade des Anglais and round to the Quai Midi. In number I should think they exceeded 1,500. King Carnival was an enormous effigy on a car drawn by eight horses, moving his arms and legs and head in mock salute and benediction as he was drawn along. One carriage represented a colossal sheep, with Punchinello dancing on its back, while a band of masqueraders in the guise of children, but rather old-fashioned in their looks, capered all around. Five comically caparisoned horses drew this car and its occupants. One group represented negroes from Congo, who grinned and made hideous faces at the crowd, pelting every one within reach as they passed. Intervening companies of more private maskers, some in carriages and others on foot, diversified the scone. There was a walking wheatsheaf, a country lout in smock-frock with a hayfork in his hand, and an itinerant Havanna cigar that seemed to have learned the art of walking on its point. Another vehicle represented a grinder’s apparatus, the grinder at work being an immense orang-outang. Then a company of bakers in white frocks with blue borders, each carrying an inflated bladdsr and belaboring whomsoever they could reach. Next came a party of mummers carrying an extended blanket, in which they mercilessly tossed the figure of a cardinal. Then a band of Yoltigeurs riding donkeys “ wot wouldn’t go.” One figure was made of shavings—not from a barber’s shop, but' veritable shavings of wood that hung in ringlets from his neck to his heels, completely concealing his person ; a mask with a leer and a squint being the only signs of hia hu-

■ -1% r* — r- - 1, !'. i|iartit^. ,: Then V trobp of quins, dancing to the music of their own band, consisting of tin whifjtlea and kettledrums. They were followed by the. figure of a danseusa decked out in a frilled skirt so wide and stiff, that it took up nearly the whole width of the road. Next came a company of Huguenot nobles on horses, some of them with their faces towards the tails of their steeds, Neptune riding on a oar, Pluto’s grooms, in horrid red, with fiery tongues and fiaming eyes, and long tails, carrying three-pronged forks. Then a company of butterflies, admirably got up, with gauzy wings ; and a couple of busy bees. How they managed to disguise. themselves so as to make the illusion so complete, I cannot imagine. Samson stalked along with the gates of Gaza on his head, andin his hand what purported to> be the jaw-bone.of; an ass. There was a jumping grasshopper, and a fierce-look-ing Zulu paddling his own canoe. Qne cajr was a magic lantern, the operator being a screeching monkey ; before him hung a curtain, behind which a number of living figures assumed laughable attitudes as he pretended to shift the slides. On the lower platform of the car groups in fanciful costumes danced and gesticulated ■as if in approval of the exhibition. ,: ;But time and space forbid further details, Fun and frolic prevailed all the day, and the battle of confetti was waged with unceasing vigor. But notwithstand-, the turmoil and the license, I did net observe a single breach of decorum, nor a drunken man. I could not help thinking how different it would have been if the same orgies had been tolerated in London or any large English city. I fear the roughs would not have been so goodhumored in their fun nor have. behaved with similar propriety.

,The next day masques ware unnecessary, the weapons were flowers instead of confetti The procession gained in beauty , what it it lost in grotesqueness. The de- . cdrations of the carriages were more lavish, and artistic. The Riviera is a notedplace for flowers, but the supply was .not.equtU to the demand. I was told that large quantities were imported from Toscany for the occasion. The occupants of ‘ehch carriage had hampers and baskets _ 'full of violets, roses, anemones, panssys, arid many other kinds of flowers, done up in. small bouquets, to ke used as missiles. One grand' vehicle wreathed with roses and artificial lilies, and drawn by four spirited horses similarly docked, was driven by Yiscount Adhermas de Gransae. His two servants behind, were dressed in the costume of the eighteenth century. A modern lady’s ball dress could scarcely be more costly, or be got up more artistically than the draperies of some of the cars and waggonettes forming the procession. One I must especially mention. It was adorned - with pink silk, muslin and flowers, and in it rode a bevy of young ladies dressed in a style to match. They hung out the motto Nous voyons tout en rose. There was another magnificent turn out, in which aat two Russian ladies, drawn - by 'large Ukraine horses, draped in old gold satin flowered brocade, trimmed with lace and moss roses. One vehicle was almost hidden by sunflowers ; and the ladies'who sat in it wore sunflower costumes, and displayed great energy in hurling bpquets at their many admirers. : Altogether, it was a gay and festive scene, such as I had never seen before, and probably shall never see again. I was told the Prince of Wales was present and took part in the battles, both of con-‘ fetti and flowers. But I did not Brio him. - On the first day he must have been disfigured ; on the second day he was probably the occupant of a carriage or a bal- - cony. The sports were to be continued until the following Tuesday. But I had seen enough. The next day I resumed'my journey. Yiatob.