The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-09
TkDTA Savage Scene.

A correspondent of the San Francisco
! ChroNicte,Y describing a bull fight at
Lima, writes: The next scene on the
| programme was an encounter between
bull and a bear Looking down into
the arena, | saw an attendant leading
by strong rope small bear, which he
securely fastened in the middle of the
arena. The bull was now let in, and
tremendous applause greeted his APP
| pearance. The animal at first did not
take any notice of his tied antagonist,
merely shifting the air and then dash
ing away. 1t was now necessary to call
the picadOres, who appeared and at
tempted to attract the bull toward the
bear This they succeeded in doing,
and as the animal, now made furious,
spied its enemy, he dashed toward it
with head lowered, and catching it on
his horns,1 threw it violently into the
air. The bear, apparently frightened,
made no resistance, except to growl
tiereely.- and endeavored to escape from
its assailant. Again and again it was
tossed into the air by its furious an
tagonist, until the attendant, seeing that
the fight was entirely one-sided, led
both the animals away, amid shouts of
laughter from the spectators, who We're
amused by the cowardly behavior of
the bear.
An encounter now took place between
bull and a full-grown lion An iron
cage containing the lion was drawn into
the middle of the arena, sufficiently large
to afford ample room for the contest.
The bull was quickly let in, the grated
door closed, and the two animals stood
glazing at each other. The bull was
the first to advance to the attack, and,
charging furiously at his opponent, he
succeeded in driving his horns through
the jaws of the lion, from which the
blood flowed freely. The lion, how
ever nothing daunted, fought desper-
ately with his claws, fastening them in
the sides of the bull and decorating the
flesh terribly. The bull had the adj
vantage; and, although he tried in vain
to shake off his antagonist, he sue
ceeded finally in worrying him out, the
lion dropping from sheer exhaustion on
the floor of the cage. The fight lasted
about five minutes, and at its conclusion
the victor was greeted with the usual
thunders of applause by the excited
spectators. My lady friends were es-
pecially enthusiastic, asking me if ever
| had witnessed such an enjoyable en-
tertainment before. Another intermis-
sion of fifteen minutes now occurred
which we improved by visiting the
boxes OF various friends present and
partaking of refreshments.
The closing scene was to be a fight
between a lioness and four small
but ferocious bulldogs. The cage was
now turned, and we saw a large, full
grown lioness of ferocious aspect, while
at the same moment an attendant APP
peared leading by chain four small
dogs of bull species. They were i'm
mediately led into the cage, and with
fierce growls instantly sprang on their
foe. 1t would seem almost impossible
for four such insignificant animals to be
victorious in an encounter with an
enormous lion, but the result showed
how mere brute force falls prey to
cunning stratagem. The audience were
| now worked up to pitch of excitement,
and hundreds sprang into the arena to
| obtain closer view of the combat. The
soldiers were now ordered to clear the
arena, and charged with fixed bayonets
on the crowd, wounding several in their
efforts to force them back. This so in
furiated the mob that knives and pis-
| tolls were drawn, and fierce encounter
took place between the military and
the rabble, resulting in the killing of
several of the former The soldiers
were first ordered to fire into the air,
but this proving futile a volley was
poured into the mob, killing several
and, wounding others. The crowd,
threatening dire vengeance, retreated,
leaving the space clear, and thus Civ
ing the spectators an extra performance
not down in the bill, and which APP
peared to be heartily enjoyed by them.
During the excitement caused by the
collision between the soldiers and the
mob, the fight between the the lion and
the dogs had ended in the latter being
victorious, and as we looked toward the
cage we saw the dogs standing over
their PROSTATE foe, tapping his blood,
and apparently little the worse for the
encounter, though subsequently three
of them died from their wounds. This
closed the entertainment, and the enor-
nous throng of spectators left the Plaza
de Acho well pleased with what they
had witnessed. Receiving an invitation
to spend the evening with the family of
my lady friends, l gladly accepted, and
was soon ensconced in their hospitable
mansion. The conversation naturally
reverted to the scenes we had that day
witnessed at the Plaza de Acho. The
ladies stoutly defended their national
amusements, although l pointed out
the fact that such barbarous spectacles
did not tend to elevate the morals of
people, and instanced the bloody ARRAY
between the military and the mob; still
they were unconvinced, declaring that
no country in the world afforded such
exquisite entertainments as their own
beautiful Peru.
N IL