The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-07

do you row the boat?"
~, yes; / can take ye over in less than no
time. Fetch up yer boss " =
ossyed, asking, as led the horse into the
boat Did your husband write that advertise
ment on the door there?"
No, sir-ees! Schoolmastsr Jones writ that.
John hain't got no larninl'
And the good woman rowed the boat safely
across the ugly stream; and, handing her the
ierriage tee, babe her good morning, beiey
ing then, las still do,l that she was one of the
hapnsest women aid best wives I ever saw
perfectly coutented with her lot, because she
THE POET BRYANT AT A BULL FIGHT.
w. c. Bryant, the American poet, is at pres
ent travelling in Spain, and in one of his las,
letters gives an account of bull fight which
he witnessed in the city of Burgos.
At the special urgency Of Don Pedro
says Mr.. B., I" for / wished to postpone the
spectacle till should arrive at Madrid-I went
up with one of our party to bull fight. This
is the last day, said our Spanish friend: 'to
morrow the amphitheatre will be removed
every plank Of it, and we shall have no more
combsts for year. We found the place, which
they told US was capable of containing six thou.
sand persons, already full of people mpatiently
drumming with their feet, to hint that it was
high time for the sport to begin. Nine-tenths
or more OF them were of the laboring class,
and their bright-colored costumes, particularly
those OF the women, gave the crowd gay ap.
pearance. Many children of various ages we're
among them, and some of these, showily dress.
ed, and attended by nurses, were evidently of
opulent families. We took our places in the
uppermost circle, under narrow sort of roof,
which sheltered US from the sum- below us was
range after range of seats open to the sky, de.
scending to the central circle, the arena in
which the combats were to take place.
An alguazil, in black, first rode round the
arena, proclaiming the regulations of the day.
de was followed BY procession of the per.
formers, in their gay dresses the picadores-
glittering with gold and silver lace-on horse.
back, with their broad brimmed hats and long
lances the calOs on foot, with their red cloaks:
the banderillerOs, with their barbed shafts.
wrapped in stripes of white paper the mata-
dores, with their swords and, lastly, three
mules, gaily caparisoned, with strings of little
bells on their necks, who were to drag out the
slain bulls. Loud shouts rose from the crowd.
and then door was opened, and an enormous
bull, jet black, with massive chest and glaring
eyes, bounded into the arena. He ran frat at
the chu1os, who shook their cloaks at him. but
his rage appeared soon to subside. A picador
put his lance against the animals forehead, but
he shook it off and turned away. The ctulos
again came capering about him, and trying to
provoke him; he pursued them only few steps.
Then rose the cry of, 'Ah, que es raanso! one
es moalso codarde codarde!' FINALLY, the
people began to call for the dogs Los perros i,
los perzos! rose from thousand throats. Three
.orse uoss we're DrCbsht, rAsOb, but hing iyuyi-
ly, flew at the bull with great fury. He took
them enc after another on his horns, aud threw
them up in the air enc of them he caught in
his fall, and tossed him again. The dogs tore
his ears into strings, but they were soon either
disabled or cowed, and only attacked him wari-
y while ne kept them off by presenting to them
first one horn and then the other Then the
dogs were withdrawn and the chulos tried him
again, but he would not chase them far the
picadores poked at him with their lances, but
he declined to gore their horses. The crowd
shouted vigorously, Away with him away
with him y and at length the door by which
the bull had entered was set wide open, that he
might make his retreat.
But the bull would not GO; he was not minded
either to fight or to quit the field xiii him
kill him exclaimed thousand throats. And
the signal was given in obedience to which,
one of the matadores--prin,era espada, as the
Spaniards call him, just as the Italians say,
prtmG dOnna-made his appearance, with a red
cloak on his left arm, and long, glittering,
straight sword, in his right hand He shook the
cloak at the bull, who made rush at it, while
the matadOr at the same time attempted to pierce
the animal to the heart, through the chine
Three times he sought to make the fatal pass
at the third he was successful, burning the blade
up to the hilt. A torrent of blood flowed from
the creatures mouth-he staggered and fell.
A sound of little bells was heard. The three
mules harnessed abreast came in, and dragged
out tie lifeless creature.
"Another bull, of smaller size, but of more
savage temper, was then let into the arena. He
ran fiercely at the chulos, chasing them into
the places of shelter built for them beside the
barrier and the crowd shouted, 'Es nauy 6rdvo,
csc! u,uy brara!' A picador touched with his
lance the forehead of the animal, who instantly
rushed towards him, raised with his horns the
horse he rode, and laid him on the ground,
ripping open his bowels. then perceived, with
a sort of horror, that the horse had been blind.
folded, in order that he might not get out of
the way of the bull. The chulos came up with
their red cloaks, and diverted the attention of
the bull from his victom, while the picador, who
had fallen under his horse, was assisted to rise.
Four other horses were brought forth, blind.
folded in this manner, and their lives put be-
tween the picador and the fury of the bull, and
each was killed in its turn, amidst the shouts
and applauses of the crowd.
Gone of the 6onderilieros now came forward,
provoked the bull to rush at him by shaking
his cloak before his eyes, and, leaping aside,
planted one of his barbed shafts, with its paper
streamers, in each of the animals shoulders
Others followed his example, till the bleeding
shoulders of the bull were garnished with i've or
six banderillos on each side. The creature, how
ever, was evidently becoming tired, and the
signal was given to finish him. A matador came
forward and planted q sword in his heart, but
he made violent effort to keep his legs, and,
even while falling, seemed disposed to rush at
the chulos.
81 had now seen enough, and left the place
amidst the thunders of applause which the cres-
ture's fall drew from the crowd. heard that
afterwards three more bulls and six horses
we're killed, and that an addition had been made
to the usual entertainments of the pldsa, with
which the people we're not we'll pleased. A class
of combstants appeared, called pegadores, who
literally took the bull by the horns, allowing
him to toss them in the air, and one of them was
much hurt by his fall. 1t is Portuguese
said my friend Don Pedro, rather
innocently as it seemed to me, and it is hor
rible sight for us Spaniards. We do not like
to see man tossed like deg"
AN ELOQUENT DUN-Some years ago, a
publisher in Vermont, finding
large amount of unpaid subscriptions on his
books, concluded to employ special collecting
agent to go round, for per centage of his col.
ections, and dun the delipquents, which he &C.