After the carriages have paraded about an hour, a signal is given by the firing of a gun that the horse race is about to begin.  The carriages, on the gun being fired, must immediately evacuate the Corso in order to leave it clear for the race; some move off and rendezvous on the Piazza del Popolo just behind the scaffolding, from the foot of which the horses start; others file off by the Via Ripetta and take their stand on the Piazza Colonna.  The horse-race is performed by horses without riders, generally five or six at a time.  They are each held with a bridle or halter by a man who stands by them, in order to prevent their starting before the signal is given; and this requires no small degree of force and dexterity, as the horses are exceedingly impatient to set off.  The manes of the horses are dressed in ribbands of different colours to distinguish them.  Pieces of tin, small bells and other noisy materials are fastened to their manes and tails, in order by frightening the poor animals, to make them run the faster, and with this view also squibs and crackers are discharged at them as they pass along.  A second gun is the signal for starting; the keepers loose their hold, and off go the horses.  The horse that arrives the first at the goal wins the grand prize; and there are smaller ones for the two next.  This race is repeated four or five times till dusk, and then the company separate and return home to dress.  They then repair to the balls at the different casinos, and at the conclusion of the ball, supper parties are formed either at restaurants or at each other’s houses.  During the time occupied in the balls and promenades, as every body goes masked either in character or in domino, there is a fine opportunity for pairing off, and it is no doubt turned to account.  This is a pretty accurate account of a Roman Carnaval.  A great deal of wit and repartee takes place among the masks and they are in general extremely well supported, and indeed they ought to be, for there is a great sameness of character assumed at every masquerade, and very little novelty is struck out, except perhaps by some foreigner, who chuses to introduce a national character of his own, which is probably but little, or not at all, understood by the natives, and very often not at all well supported by the foreigner himself.  An American gentleman once made his appearance as an Indian warrior with his war-hatchet and calumet; he danced the war dance, which excited great astonishment.  He then presented his calumet to a mask, who not knowing what the ceremony meant, declined it, when the Mohawk flourished his hatchet and gave such a dreadful shriek as to set the whole company in alarm.[112] On the whole this character was so little understood that it was looked upon as a mauvaise plaisanterie.

The usual characters are Pulcinelli, Arlecchini, Spanish Grandees, Turks, fortune tellers, flower girls and Devils; sometimes too they go in the costume of the Gods and Goddesses of the ancient mythology.  I observe that the English ladies here prefer to appear without masks in the costume of the Swiss and Italian peasantry.