, 1879-07-08
SPANISH BULL.FIGHTS.

A Dull an 1Vptt "A n Isrutal Performances.
strtsis CdyrssnoHdeace London Tsntes.
4 bull.hght rs now practtccd in Spain Is not
only barbarous md sicken[nE, but, whatever
tho amateurs may say to tho contrary, q dull,
monotonous amusement. There wcro SIX bulls
coming In ono after tho other to bo poked with
po[utcd ppies in tho ribs, worried witt!
red cloaks, and stuck With barbcd darts
In tha shoulders, md to bc in the eud,
When utterly exhausted in their ba1llcd rage,
stabbed Ia thu back with sword, and dis.
patched with dngeers In tho napc OF tho neck.
Three or four horscs wcro Hored anl dlscm.
bowc.cd aud their riders bruised and almost
crushed BY awkward tal!s; but one net Of the
tragedy was only repetition OF tho Incidents
Of the other Eve; tho rcal "fuu," tho thrill OF
horror from imminent danger to human life,
was altogether missng and all tho e1crtiona Of
ehspos nsd bantlcrisros hardly ellcted from the
sluggish bulls more fury than might, Under the
satlle proYDcation, be expected from COWS.
The resleeniluE feature In I'LL The brutality Of
tlrso modern Spanish tournaments Is the
mutual grasevakitY Itrdr ,chiYalrou4 lorhcoraihN
thu. 'uen ntu beasts, as rule, observe towart.
one another, There Ia no tustunce, | believe, of
u bull attacking pfcador's horse otherwise than
IN front or In 1laHk. or eycn III his blind mad
plain elothea, distinguishing them from
The silk and spaugles Ut the torealvres,
designate them as non.combatants. On
The other tia'd, the Dcadortx and the etixzaa, If
they Rrc up tn their business, never strike lle
bull unless, By any amount ot detained an'l
| teasing, they cAn aoad him Into charge. One
| of tho nutaaorts wflo 81 far forgut The rules as
| 10 thrust his blade belweeu the stccr's
| shoudprs as thu Inter stood still, evidently
"tunkng" the encounter. wus visited with suct.
volley OF tilase8 aiMl execsatlon, ~ such a
chorus 1T "A-se-si.hoi" .A-se-si-H0ih sung In q
Cadence, US actuaiIy to drive l,im isuo..
ininI''nsiy iram thu arena for the rest Of
tho day: For, aftcr. ali, thy most curious
part uf The gamc at II bult-lght. is played
llut by tho performers In tlc lists. hut BIZ tho
bystalliers II tbc ampltheatrc. Though ladies'
u sailk auu rctinrlnsnt, both native aud alien,
srrycd scats, tho bu11.Eght Is nah's
pastjule, aud most OF tho women Of tho low
est classes, tho ,aaits, haoitaalty crowtling
the rows of bare wooden benches. arg somewhat
tic revolving slight with un!llilrhl1ng It,rtttdo,
IL Is evident Tint wnt nttrAcs then, to tic rim.
! is thu wish ~ slloW themselves where there
| aru many e5cs to SEQ tllcl,. and So interest
men by tho sympathy they eyI1'ro IN thelF
tast English girls snoku cfsarettcs,-in sheer
brnyal0. Nowhcre dues tho fenlnlt nr bpan
ISL A1Itlalusan costume look 10 gay or E0rGrOus
us un these t,ccasuns, nowhere nru more giarlH
colors, ,nure fantastic heuu utrssses, 10 great i
proportion Of goll ornaments produced III
whcrD a ,aaja Ia sure to meet Il crowd OF nsajos
Al for thu "BEArks," uf ulrGtca tilAt ~ 0Y 1tt
taIi1e, they muster strong Ill Seville NJ this sen
son, a,rl II is their loldness mid ri0tousness
tlnli give Tho a!r uf llyeiness to 1teso shanl
Dtcs, anl untmation to u crowd met t.
SEQ puar !nuIunslvu hrntUs "butcherel Il
mako Spanish holiday" 1t would ba NIL oh
sur.llty to call these young. atars merry, ful
they asu only frautic, nt,d Storm asll raGs
throughout tl,0 performance, shouting ut tlt
tu ul nl! their yolccs, with their oYcA stattin:
from tciE sockets, md their ar.lls saving th'
alr With tile utmost strait, Ut violent Eostcula
tIou. Whether with thu bull or with his adves
saries, they arc always angry, always assallini
tllem witt, bad lAnguaGe, nlSAya urging that
ulI, cheering or abusing thuM With san!
plrusce, the meaning Ut which 1t Is better not Il
lry to mako oMt, uttcred IN thu peculiar sling
sung Of tl.eir Guaint Asnlaluslan accent, und al
cuding with tiw uuiYussally fayorite exclaMa
ton, " l'HnetsadahW
Your trnu nsafo never sits down; 1lo Is navc
quiet, Aill ulioHa Ills neigbors nu rest; but I'll.
cllax OF Ills excitement Is reached rs tho bul
talls by stusle slruku nj tho ts,aas, ur swords
man, ,wcn tle skill OF the performer Is repall By
sh0wur of ialfpcnny cieurs, M,ll When hunarri
Of mems lats al rolling as tlltpcrfor1ncr' feel
putting hin. to the troub!e ct picking shtm y
aud ng1.g them hack to their owuers, ~
trick Ia stale, ul.u the turtro himself II evdcnsl
SILK ot t.; but the mgio never KLSea II ap, IN
) sceIns to think that BY that evsr,rrllswed an
, nuver.accepted profrsr OF hts hsad'plccd h
achieves Al great u feat rs tho cue no u 1nxt0u
| thus ctleaplY 10 reward.