Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-03-05
5 NO. As.
tended by tho noLiIity-bull fights and

all.
81 tell the tale as it was told to me-
In a box sat three Judges, very dignified
as if they were about to try one of their
own species for life or death. Two
birds were brought in, their owners car
red them around Lantcrirg the specta-
tors for bets. The excitement COM
mences, bets are offered, aud cries re-
sound on all sides. Una once on the
back, una once" a shake Of the fingers
from one opposite, and the bet was &c
cepted without word having been ex-
changed. Negroes, free and slave, low
whites, coolies, and men of high condi-
ton, were all frantically betting. Most
of the bets were made by holding up
the fingers, and 10y other signs between
boxes and galleries. 1t is said large
sums were staked and paid.
AT four in the afternoon commences
the bull fight in tho Plaza Toras, n
wooden amph;ihcater, situated in tho
suburbs open at the top, and circle of
rising seats, with the arena in the center.
A full band is blowing its trumpcts and
beating its drums. Tho bulls are very
harmless, and have 10 desire to fight.
Three men, sometimes four, with darts
in hand, run before the bull, entice him
by floating their rcd cloths, and rs b.,
trots up to them stick bandarllas into his
neck. These torment the animal, and
he tries to shake them off, and paws tho
ground. The next refinement of torture
is in the form Of darts, filled with heavy
Chinese crackers, which explode on tho
neck of the poor beast. Two men,
each carrying long, stout wooden poe,
pointed with q short piece of iron, not
long enough to kill, but only to drive off
and to goad, are mounted on two old
nags whom it would not pay to feed and
scarcely to kill, and here they are to take
their chances of death. They could
hardly be made to troG and were too
weak to escape. The bull, distracted by
sight and torture, would come against
horse which would stand still to be cored
until he was driven off by the punching
of the iron-pointel pole of the horse
man. All this time yeIs and shouts and
the noise Of trumpots and drums were
filling the air. At last the matador ap-
pears, dressed in tight Citing suit of
green small clothes, with broad silver
striped jerkin and stockins, tall, ele-
gantly made man, bearing in one hand
long, heavy, black sword, and in the
other broad, red cloth. Now comes
the narrowing and distracting Of tho
bull by flags, red cloths, and darts. The
matador runs before, and filings his cloth
up and down; the bull trots toward it
not very furious, the cloth is flashed over
bis eyes, and one shillfuIIv directed lnngc
/ of the sword Into the back Of his neck,
and he drops instantly dead at the feet
of the matador. Frantic shouts of APP
plausc follow, and the matador bows
around like al applauded circus rider and
retircs. The great gate opens, and three
! horses abreast are driven in decked with
ribbons, to drag the bull around the are
M. But they ere such feeble animals
| that, with all the flourish of music and
the whipping Of drivers, they are barely
able to tug the bull around. At last
they disappear. The same thing is
played over as Mt first, another bull is
brought in, and the music beats and
brays again. There are generally from
seven to eight of these old nags killed,
and as many bulls, and occasionally q
horseman. Much more might be said
on this subject. have given you a
faint description, as it has been tola~to
me. The day winds up with ball in
the evening, Mt the Palace. c.
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