the carnival. A Cuban
pollo has generally three ladies to whom he is devoted. The first of
these is represented by the senorita whom he is destined to marry one of
these days, but with whom he may not be seen alone. The second lady of
his choice is the afore-mentioned 'guariminica querida,' who accompanies
him about town when any fiesta is held; and the third is the mulatto
beauty, whom he serenades and presents with various gifts in token of
his admiration for her charms.

The step of la danza is distantly related to a slow valse; but being
accompanied by certain graceful movements of the limbs--vulgarly termed,
in creole vernacular, 'la sopimpa'--the excitement is far greater than
it is with the fastest 'trois temps' on record. So great indeed, that
after every other 'round' the couples pause and perform a kind of
lady's-chain in quadrille groups of six or eight. Each dancer gives his
or her favourite version of this remarkable step. Some appear to glide
around as if propelled on wheels; while others define the step by hops,
backward skips and short turns, now to the right, now the left; but all
preserve the same graceful movements of the body.

The pleasures of the dance are greatly enhanced by the quality of the
music, which is more or less inspiriting according to the air selected.
Among the best Cuban dance music are the Cocuye, the Chupadera, the
Calabazon, the Sopimpa, the Mulata, the Pollita Americana, Merenguito,
Lunarcitos, Al Mediodia, and 'a las Bellas Cubanas.' The clarionet takes
the lead in the band of black musicians, and the gueiro and tambours
serve to mark the peculiar chopping compass which is the leading feature
of the creole dance. The gueiro proper is an instrument made from the
hard fruit whence it derives its name. The gueiro of society is, however,
manufactured out of tin, and shaped like a broad tube rounded at one end
to a fine point To one side is attached a handle; the other side is
furnished with notches or transverse ridges, which being rapidly scraped
by a piece of thick wire, a hollow, grating sound is produced. The
monotony of this sound is varied on the tambours, and neither of those
instruments is used when the dancers pause for the lady's-chain.

It is not unusual for an enthusiastic dancer to present the leader of
the band with a piece of money, as an inducement for the latter to
prolong the dance, and as a graceful tribute to his partner's dancing.
But this proceeding not bein