Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-21
A Bull Fight in Seville.

u6 Woch immoutotOy pfoCcuiuk Gao
ter had been one of great excitement in
the city famous for oranges and wo-
men," Visitors from all quarters of the
globe had congregated there, and the
lodging houses and hotels were over
flowing with strangers, eager to witness
the ceremonies of Holy Week. The diff
ferent religious professions had, day
after day, paraded through the narrow,
winding streets, while from the balconies
which surround each window in the Span
ish houses, thousands of fair women and
brave men, of every cline and alton,
gazed down upon the strange and won
drous scene beneath them. Figures rep
resentng scenes in the Savior's life, and
arrayed in costly vestments, were borne
in each procession, while chan ting
priests, with lighted candles, clustered
around each holy scene. Troops of men
resplendent in tin helmets and waving
pumes, and representing the Spanish
Cavaliers oft the Holy Crusades, marched
as guards to the priests and figures. But
forty days of constant prayer and daily
mass in that grand Seville cathedral, ex.
cept St. Peters the grandest in the world,
had reused in the peasure-loving Spar-
lard an eager desire to return to the
pomps and vanities of the world; accor-
dinghy bull fight was advertised to take
place as soon as Holy Week was fairly
over. Six ferocious bulls were procured,
and the most celebrated fighters in Spain
were announced as participants. Days
before the fight our seats were en-
gagged at the extravagant price of two
dollars and half each, and not without
much interest and expectation did we
look forward to the coming fray.
1t was half-past three o'clock on one
of those warm. bright afternoons which
make the month of April so pleasant IN
sunny Andalusia, that we left our hotel
aud followed the crowd to the bullring
Thousands of persons were filling the
winding streets, the gipsies in their pic
turesque costumes. the better classes,
with their inevitable red umbrella, and
gay and laughing strangers, all vending
their way toward common goal. A ten
minutes walk brought us to the door;
we pushed our way in through the crowd,
mounted the broad stone steps, passed
down a narrow corridor, and found our
selves for the first time looking down into
Spanish bullriDg.
Imagine a circular piece Of ground,
one hundred and fifty feet in diameter,
and surrounded with two stout board
fences. The inner fence was between
five and six and the outer between seven
and eight feet high, while between the
two was space of about ten feet, which
served IS a place of retreat when the
fighters are hard pressed. Behind the
latter fence were the seats for the specta-
tors, and these consisted of nothing more
than simple stone steps rising one above
the other. On these cold seats the audi
ence were obliged to sit, unless they
chose to pay the high price asked for the
chairs, which are placed on the upper
tiers. In this latter place our party
were situated, and from there we had an
unobstructed view Of the whole arena,
with the twelve thousand human beings
gathered around it. On our left was the
door through which the bull enters the
ring, and opposite the one through which
his mutilated body makes an ignominious
retreat Soon after we were seated the
Duke and Duchess Of Monipensier, who
were 10 preside, entered the royal box T;
the band played the Royal March Of
Spain, and the people shouted and waved
their hats and handkerchiefs. Imagine
the son Of Louis Philippe aud the sister
Of the Spanish queen consenting 70 coun- |
tenance, in this public way, the most
cruel aud inhuman Of sports.
Suddenly bugle sounded, and the door |
opposite swung slowly open. The bsnd
struck up a lively air, and glitteripg
procession emerged and crossed toward
the royal box. The man at the head, the |
manager Of the fight, was elegantly
dressed, and mounted on black stallion. /
After him came = dozen men on foot
al dressed in Short loose jackets COW