The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-22 00:00:00

A SPANISH BULLFIGHT,

The following description of a bullfight is com-
municated by Mr. T. Sopwith, M.A., F.R.S., to the
.Hexhani Courant. The writer states :---

"Before taking my seat I walked round to see the stables,
and there saw the men who were to perform, as also their
horses. Judge of my astonishment on seeing a small chapel
lighted up with candles, where the whole of the men are
confessed before they begin their perilous avocation, and
where, in the event of their being mortally wounded in the
course of the combat, the sacrament of extreme unction is
administered. There was no laughing nor joking either
among the performers or the lookers-on ; the former had
quite the air of men who knew the risk they were abort to
run. The arena is about 100 paces in diameter, and sur-
rounded by a double barrier.
"After a flourish of trumpets the arena was cleared of
spectators, several soldiers on horseback assisting to expe-
dite their departure. A. procession then entered, consisting
of two masters of the ceremonies, five picadors on horse-
back, 14 banderilleros, including three matadors, all dressed
in red or blue silk, richly embroidered with gold, silver, or
black silk, and two teams of mules, three in each, with nine
or ten assistants, to draw the dead carcasses from the ring.
" The whole procession crossed the arena and advanced
to the front of the royal box, which on this occasion was
empty, but from an adjoining box a bunch of keys was
thrown to liberate the bulls from thoir dungeons. The pro-
cession retired with the keys, and none but the banderilleros
remained. A door in the barrier was then thrown open and
No. 1 bull trotted into the ring. He stopped when he had
gone about 20 paces, and gazed right and left in evident
bewilderment. Then
seeing the banderilleros, he quickly
trotted after them. They evaded him, and engaged his at-
tention by waving flying cloaks of different bright colours
about his head. The bull soon stopped and stood steadily
looking at the banderilleros, who advanced close to him
and cleverly evaded the several charges made by the ani-
mal. The latter was very undecided, and seemed afraid
of his opponents. The spectators now began to express
disapproval of his cowardice, and there was a general hiss-
ing when the bull, on being boldlyconfronted by Cuchares,
turned away. The trumpets now sounded as the signal for
another act of the performance to commence. Darts were
given to the banderilleros, who stuck them into the
shoulders of the bull; they were stuck in, not thrown. The
art of so doing requires a very active movement, which,
by its dexterity, is graceful. It is done when the bull is
charging, and the darts—about 30in. long—are thrust in two
at a time. This must be done deliberately, and the place of
insertion is a fleshy part of the fore shoulders. No wound
during the whole of the performance is inflicted on any
other part than the shoulders.

ig The bull being a coward, the spectators called Vuego;'
and the darts, instead of being plain, were provided with
squibs and crackers, which ignited as they entered the flesh,
and were seen blazing about the bewildered and now infu-
riated animal. Six darts were thrust in, and although the
wretched animal was wild with pain and rage he was not
thought sufficiently brave; a flourish of trumpets announced
the last act, the picadors not having been put in requisition
at all.
" Cuchares, the principal performer, now appeared upon
the scene with a red cloth and a long, thin sword. This bull
was completely frightened of him, and it was only after
being followed for some time that he showed any disposi-
tion to turn upon and attack his persecutor. Cuchares
allowed him to charge two or three times, just stepping a
foot or two aside, and then, gazing steadily at him, plunged
his sword nearly to the hilt in the shoulders of the bull,
which immediately fell on his knees, and received a final
wound with a poniard.

"A second bull now gallopped into the ring, and at once
began to chase the banderilleros, who ran before him with
great coolness, and at times waved their longmantles about
his horns. As the bull ran faster than the men, the latter
must either turn aside or try to baffle him with their bright
red mantles, and this they generally succeeded in doing.
This requires very great adroitness as well as activity and
presence of mind, for if the mantle was not properly
thrown, the performer would probably step upon it and be
thrown down, at the risk of almost certain death. Picadors
were now introduced, and the bull in pursuing the ban-
derillos, suddenly caught sight of a horse close to him ; he
seemed thunderstruck, pawed the ground, lowered his head
and rushed upon the horse. The picador thrust at him
with his lance, but the bull broke right through this de-
fence, and, with a tremendous gore, killed the horse. He
then rushed at another horse, was twice repulsed by the
lance, but succeeded a third time and unhorsed the picador.
A third horse suffered a similar fate, and his rider received