There are two things on which both negroes and mulattoes pride themselves: their fine ear for music, and their proficiency in dancing. A talented French bandmaster told me, that, if taken young, he thought he could train his Haytian pupils to be excellent musicians; and as they are fond of the study and practice, he had no difficulty whatever in keeping them to their classes; and many of the military band in Port-au-Prince played fairly well, though, from inefficient and irregular instruction under native teachers, much was still to be desired. The drum, however, was a very favourite instrument, and the noise produced was sometimes startling. The travelled wife of a President used to say that she thought no music in Paris equal to the Haytian, _especially the drums._ The dancing of the upper classes is much the same in all countries, though in Hayti the favourite dance is a special one, called “Carabinier.” Among the people, however, are still to be observed the old dances they brought from Africa. Moreau St. Mèry, in his admirable work on Santo Domingo during the French colonial days (new edition, p. 52), has described the dances of the slaves as he saw them previous to 1790, and his words might be used to depict what occurs at the present day. With the negroes dancing is a passion, and no fatigue stands in the way of their indulging in it. The announcement that a dance will take place brings people from surprising distances, and the sound of the drums acts like a charm, and all fatigue is forgotten. Young and old, although they may have walked twenty miles, with heavy burdens for the next day’s market, join in it with enthusiasm. But the most interesting dances are those performed by the professionals. Generally they consist of a couple of men to beat the drums, a very fat woman as treasurer, and three or four younger woman famous for their skill. Soon after President Salnave came into power I was a guest at a picnic at a place where some famous dancers had invited the young men of the district to come and meet them.