The Sun.
London, England, 1826-04-13 00:00:00

THE FANCY IN AFRICA.

Having heard a great deal of the BoxEus of
HAussA, I was anxious to witness their perform-
ance. Accordingly I sent one of my servants to
offer 2,000 whydah for a pugilistic exhibition.—
As the death of one of the combatants is almost
certain before a battle is over, I expressly pro-
hibited all fighting in earnest. The boxers ar-
rived, attended by two drums, and the whole
body of butchers, who here compose " the
Fancy." A ring was soon formed by the Master
of the Ceremonies throwing dust on the specta-
tors to make them stand back. The drummers
entered the ring, and began to drum lustily.
One of the boxers followed quite naked, except
a skin round the middle. He placed himself
in an attitude as if to oppose an antagonist,
and wrought his muscles into action seemingly to
find out that every sinew was in full force for the
approaching combat ; then coming from time to
time to the side of the ring, and presenting his
right arm to the bystanders, he said, 44 I am a
hyena, I am a lion, I am able to kill all that oppose
me." The spectators to whom he presented himself
laid their hands on his shoulder, repeating, " he
blessings of God be upon thee ;" " Thou art a
a hyena ;" 44 Thou art a lion." He then aban-
doned the ring to another, who spewed off in tis.
same manner. The right hands and arms of the
pugilists were now hound with narrow country,
cloth, beginning with a fold round the middle
finger, when, the hand being first clenched with•
the thumb between the fore and mid fingers, the.
cloth was passed in many turns round the fist,
the wrist, and the fore arm. After about twenty
had separately gone through their attitudes of de-
fiance, and appeals to the spectators, they were
next brought forward by pairs. If they happened
to be friends, they laid their left breasts together

twice, and exclaimed, " We are lions, we are
friends." One then left the ring and another was
brought forward. If the two did not recognise
one another as. friends, the set to immediately
commenced. On taking their stations, the two
pugilists first stood at some distance, parrying
with the left hand open, and, whenever op-
portunity offered, striking . with the right.
They generally aimed at the pit of the stomach,
and under the ribs. Whenever they closed, one
seized the other's head under his arm, end beat
it with his fist, at the same time striking with his
knee between his antagonist's thighs. In this
position, with the head in Chancery, they are said
sometimes to attempt to gouge or scoop out one
of the eyes. When they break loose, they never
fail to give a swining blow with the heel under
the ribs, or sometimes under the left ear. It is
these blows which are so often fatal. The Com-
batants were repeatedly separated by my orders,.
as they were beginning to lose their temper.—
When this spectacle was heard of, girls left their
pitchers
down their baskets, and all ran to see the light.
at the wells, the market people threw
The whole square before my house was crowded
to excess. After six pair had gone through se-
veral rounds, I ordered them, to their great $8-
tisfaction, the promised reward, and the multi'
tude quietly
dispersed.— (Clapperton's Discoveries
4frica.)

JAMES GRANT, otherwise SEUMAS NAN TUIM'
JAMES GRANT, the Laird of Caron!
nephew
to
was the Rob Roy of the northern Highlands,
theßan looterir inaccessible
rfeh,isa
He was the most generous and, intrepid free'
iad y
thence
ickees
croeoscrs
ievgedr
nheisnss.ssehlifraemal
the appellation
of Seumas nan Tuim, or James of the Hills. His
depredations, or as they were then called by a
softening term, spraiths, were so frequent and
formidable, that the Parliament of Scotland °fill.-
ed a reward for apprehending him. A person of
the name of Mackintosh bribed the landlord of
a public-house to betray him ; but so extensive was
his intelligence, so powerful his influence, that no.
Lice of the plot soon reached him. lie not only
avoid the snare, but, attended by ti posse of his ad-
herents, seized the inkeeper in his own house,
and hung him on a tree. There is still extant at,
Castle Grant a letter from the Privy Council of
Scotland, thanking the Chieftain of the Grants
for his public spirit in securing and delivering
up to justice a freebooter of his own clan. 116
Was Confined in the castle of Edinburgh. Ili!
wife craved the indulgence of paying him a last
visit, and permission to give him a kit of butter
—the only testimony of affection she had to otter
him who was ever kind to her, and a fond father
to their children. Humanity could not refusal
such a petition ; she was admitted to the castle,
was punctual in bidding adieu to her lituslon" at
the expiration of an hour, leaving with him the
kit of butter, in which she concealed a ladder
of ropes. Seumus Nan 'Fujin escaped and Ova to
Ireland. Be had not been, long there, when he per'
formed an importantikervice by an act of desperate
bravery. The county of Antrim had been for
some time kept in continual alarm by a robber'
who, with his gang, seldom spared the lives of
the persons whom he plundered ; and his boll'
ness and rapacity produced frequent and creel
outrage. Seumas nan
'ruin) asked for a small
party of men from Lord Antrim, and with these
traced the robber to his haunt, and made hinl
prisoner, with several of Isis accomplices. In re"
compense for his achievement, Lord Antrim 00'
tained a free pardon for the Scottish freebooter:
who never shed any blood, except the blood 01
cattle, or of dastards who endeavoured to circom"
vent him, and had not the courage to meet bin}
hand in hand like mess. Thus pleaded Senul
nan Tuim in his application to Lord Antrim, anr
be did not plead in vain. He returned to his
own country, and supported his wife and fowl
by honestly dealing in cattle, and died in peace.

BIRTH.
On the lOth inst., at the Rectory, Preston, near Bath, the
lady of the Rev. John Hammond, of a

DIED.
On the 10th inst., at Wadham Coßegs, Oxford, after a few
days ilineas, Am ALA., Barber, Esq., AA., of Regency-Ware"
Brlghton.
OA'
i
n the 20th aargyed o last: at Cape of o°H°!"'Th

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