The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-09
PENINSULA SPORTS.
rug HULL FIGHT A. CONDUCTED IN
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
nsrrnrs Of the Arena Maddened Bulls
spd Gered Harses-The Ruil Fighters
Immunity From Danger-The Comic
aull Fight Of Lisbon.

usyrurs Of the Arena-WRddened Bulls
sud Gerea Herses-The Ru,l Fighter
Immunity From Danger-rhe Comic
sull Fight Of Lisbon.
John Russell Young IN the New York Herald
Ihave been twice to a bull fight In Spain
The first time went to see the men kill the
huls The second time was drawn by the
bore that might see the bulls kill the men
Nv experiences Mt bull fight were like
hose Of Lord Byron. The whole spectacle
xaa 80 brutal that | could not remain.
locked at as a question of mere humanity
| he Spaniard will demonstrate that there is
no more cruelty in staying a bull than In
SAYING a foe. He will point out that the
| ball has no higher mission I'm Gods king
| dom than TO reduce himself TO beef. and
that since that is his destiny why is 1t more
cruel to kill him In one way than another
Englishmen kill foxes and give them TO the
hounds. Their sport s cruelty unredeemed
The Spaniard kills bulls and gives them for
food. Their sport is useful and serves a
/ necessary purpose the giving Of food to the
hungry.
CRUELTY IN ADJUSTMENTS.
What revolts you in the bull-fight Ia the
absence of all hope for the bull. That wounds
our sense OF fair play. The fox may find a
hole, the plover may take wing, the antelope
has the fields and the forests; In our sports
we do not take an undue advantage But for
the bull there Is no hope. The tragedy always
ends In death. Let him fight never so well.
bis valor only stimulates the excitement Of
the crowd. He has no possible hope. II he
4 wary or sluggish and will not fight, the
dogs are put upon him or fire-crackers are ex-
plcded In his skin. If he Is fierce and 80
brave that the swordsman cannot do his
office, then they creep behind and hamstring
him, and put him to death in a cowardly
fashion. The horses are killed in wantonness,
and the more horses the bull cores and rents
and tears TO pieces. the more enthusiasm In
the crowd. If even the horse had chance
But his eyes are bound. He is generally so
old and lame that his work Is DONE He has
served his master in every way-pulling,
hauling, starving and submitting TO blows
and now, when the whip and spur have no
control of his WORKOUT constitution, he is
doomed 10 the hull-goring. The whole dis
play In the refinement OF cruelty. There were
eli kinds of Inducements held out to Gen.
Grant 70 visit the bull-iight: but he could not
be persuaded.
THE PAGEANTRY OF THE BULL-FIGHT.
And yet question If any show Is more i'm
posing than bull-fight. The arena is like
the old Roman Coliseum, a circle of benches
and boxes under the open sky. There Is the
multitude ten thousand sometimes rising
from tier to tier comprising the wealth, the
beauty, the nobility. the poverty of the town.
Perfect freedom reigns, and the aspect of
such laughing, chatting. smiling multitude
10 high glee is imposing. The hull-hghters
mat isAYNnl fpR
as much esteemed as good actor, and as
eagerly looked for as Mr.. Booth on our own
stage 1t used tn be nd in England that
every duke found il necessary TO have bal
let dancer as a mistress to sustain the dig
nifty of his rank. In Suain they used to say
that every duchess had a bull-ightcr for
lover. You must not believe all that is
said about dukes and duchesseS, but if you
go 20 the gallery you see that Goya paints
famous duchess attending rendezvous with
TWO bult-tghters at the same time. The pic
ture Is SO famous that 1t is repeated in tapes
uy. But this belongs to the era when prize
hghterS were the companions OF noblemcu,
and IN England and Spain the public taste
mas changed, At the sau& time the favorite
swordsman, If the favorire appears at the
light, is always welcomed. He comes in the
rear OF grand procession. Horsemen in
picturesque dresses, attendants In orange
and crimson cloaks. the swOrdsmen in the
iear-lItle, acuNe men, all eyes and nerves,
cally shaped; their hair twisted into a small
cue, clean -llmhed, active-their lives at
their swords point, for they must in
the end face and Kill the bull AS they march
around the ring there are aeclammations,
the liyeliest chatter of comment and pnssin
speculations on the bulls, on the performers
eyer-tncreasing interest until the tragedy be-
gins.
MODERN BULL-FIGHTS
The trumpet sounds. All Unnecessary peo-
pie. musicians and SO on. depart. The arena
Is cleared. The hurSemen stand at the pats
ianees in hand. They are in no danger beyond
fall or bruise. for they are in leather and
iron armor. The cloak-bearers and swords
men take their places near the barriers. %
Jump over in case of emergency. The door
opens, and out of the dark pen the bull comes
bounding into the light amid the buzz and roar
OF the multitude. If he is good bull he will
probably justify the description in the Moor
Ism ballad on the famous buIl-fght OF Sanzul:
Dark Is his hide on either side but the blood
. within doth boil
And the dun hide gluWs as If on fire as he paws
TO the turmoil
His eyes are jet and they are set in crystal
:, rings of snow
But now they stare with one red glare of brass
Upon the forehead Of the bull the horns stand
= close and near:
from out the broad and wrinkled skull like
~, daeEers they appear.
dis neck Is massey, like the trunk of some old
- knotted tree,
Naereon the monsters shagged name. like bill |
=, lows eurled. We see.
Ills legs are Short his hams are thick, his hooks
, are black "a night;
Like strong fail he holds his tail. In fierce
-, ness 81 his might;
Like something molten out Of iron or hewn |
forth from the rock
II the bull is sluggish or Indifferent the
lorsemen spear him aud put themselves in
~ way that he may turn and gore the horses.
! ne more horses he kills the more entertain
iaent. Ibis scene over, and it is too cruel +
w offensive to be described, the horses are
ragged out. the horsemen retire and the bull
,ilcounters another enemy. Darts are thrown
MO his neck. darts with ribbons or decora-
ic ~ +k,,, ~