Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-16
A Spanish BuII.FigIlt.

n OpuuAou QuusklSMts
The following description Of bull-Aght is CON-.
munieated by Mr.. t. Sopwith, NJ. A. F. r. s., to
the Hexham (Engisnd) Courant The writer says !;
Before taking my seat 1 walked round TO see the
stables and there saw the men who TO perform,
as also their horses. Judge of my astonishment on
seeing small chapel lighted up with candles where
the whole of the men are confessed before they be-
gin their perilous avocation and where in the event
Of their being MORALLY wounded in the course Of
the combat the sacrament Of extreme junction. Is adj
ministeTed. 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
thew were about to run. The arena is about 100
PAGES in diameter, and surrounded by double bar
rer.
After flourish Of trumpets the arena was cleared
of spectators several soldiers horseback assisting
to expedite their departure. procession then en-
tered consisting of two masters OF the ceremonies,
five picadors on horseback, fourteen banderieros,
Including three matadors all dressed in red 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 carcases from
| the ring
| The whole procession crossed the arena and ad-
vanced to the front of the royal box, which this
occasion was empty, but from an adjoining box q
bunch of keys thrown to hberate the bulls from
| their dungeons. The procession retired with the
| KEYS and none but the banderilleOs remained. A
l bull trotted into the ring. He stopped when he
4 had got about twenty PAGES, and gazed right and
left in evident bewilderment. Then seeing the BAN
| derilleros, he quickly trotted after them. They
evaded him, and engaged his attention by waving
| flying coaks of different bright colors about his
| head The bull soon stopped and stood steadily
looking st the banderlleros who advanced close to
him and cleverly evaded the several charges made
by the animal The latter was very undecided, and
seemed afraid OF his opponents. The spectators
| #
and there was a general kissing when the bull, on
being boldly confronted by Cuchares, turned away.
The trumpets sounded the signal for another
act of the performance of commence. Darts were
given to the banderilleOs who stuck them into the
shoulders of the bull they were stuck in not thrown
The art of so doing requires o very active move
ment which, by its deIterity, is graceful. 1t is
done when the bull is charging, and the darts
about thirty inches long-are thrust in two at time.
This must be done deliberately, and the place Of in
sertion is a heshy part of the fore shoulder. No
wound during the whole of the performance is in
ficted on any other part Of the shoulder.
The bull being q coward the spectators called
flege, and the darts, instead of being plain, were
provided with squibs and crackers, which ignited
they entered the flesh and were seen blazing about
the bewildered and now Infatuated animal. Six
darts were thrust n and although the wretched an
mal was wild with pain and rage, he was not thought
sufficiently brave; flourish of trumpets announced
the last act the picadors not having been put in
QUESTION at all.
Cuchares the principal performer, now appeared
upon the scene with red cloth and long thin
sword The bull was completely frightened Of him,
and il was only after being followed for some time
that he showed any disposition to turn upon and at
tack his prosecutor. Cuchares allowed him to
charge two or three times, Just stepping 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 feel on his knees, and re-
ceived final wound with pOniard.
4 second bull now galloped into the ring, and al
once began to chase the banderlleos who before
him with great GOODNESS, and at times waved their
long mantles about his horns As the bull ran faster
than the men, the latter must either turn aside OF
try to battle him with their bright red mantles and
this they generally succeeded in doing. This re-
qures very great adroitness well activity and
presence Of mind, for if the mantle not proper
ly thrown the performer would probably step upon
il and be thrown down, at the risk of almost certain
death. Picadors were now introduced, and the bull
in pursuing the banderilleos suddenly caught sight
| of horse close to him; he seemed thunderstruck
paved 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 defence
and with tremendous GORE killed the horse. He
then rushed at another horse twice repulsed BY
the lance, but succeeded third time and endorsed
the picador. \ third horse suffered similar fate
and his rider received heavy fall which disabled
> him during the rest Of the day-indeed, the only
chance for his life in the immediate rescue by
the banderlleos This bull very clumsly treated
by the second matador who failed no less than five
times in the attempt TO nfict death blow, and fo
which he was Missed by the people.
The third bull made what was called the :. best
fight of the day. During his career he charged
three horses in the middle of the arena one after th
other, lifting them completely off the ground. HI,
picador was thrown from one of them six PAGES for
ward, and lay extended on the ground. The bull
was going up to him, mad with rage when Cuchare
actually seized him by the horns and thus saved tn
life of the fallen This act of daring greet
ed with tremendous applause l may say the meri
of bull is judged by the Spanish 1fcjonado icon
noisseur) by the number of times he enters to tn
ancing charges Of the picador without turning bae
or appearing to dread the prick of the lance. If
bull does not enter at ALL the people have right
demand fsgo was the with the first bull thi
day, and the president in such case gives consen
for darts to be used with crackers on them.
OF the remaining three bulls a similar recita
might be made. The banderilleos who began wit
caution and with the air Of men who knew VIVA
they were combating with, grew holder and boldel
and it would be useless to describe the several vari
q cites Of skill and courage they displayed"