The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-11-23
A Mexican Bull. fight.

The following Description OF d oull-
fight in Mexico, is from Mrs. Mary
Hallock Foote'S article, ga Diligence
journey in Mexico" in the Century
Maaozine: We drove into Maravaltlo
at high noon of a feSta,-the clrcum-
cision of our Lord-a day which might
have been made on purpose for q holl-
day, if all days of this season IN Mexico
were not perfect. 1t was a warmer
more southern-looking town thar
Toluca, on the high table-lands, with
more tropical fruits in it's markets and
less clothing on it's dark children. nj
rancheros and country people, Ill their
best sorapes and rebozos, had come down
to attend the bull-fght, and were sit
ting about on the stone benches OF the
sunny little plaza, in m%otionless on
tent. A continuousprocession Of sandal
shod feet shufled along the sidewalk
under the arches of the port1leS; gayly
dressed horse-men, in braided leather
; Jackets, and tight trouser-legs blazing
with buttons, paced their bare-footed
ponies through the streets, often with
q friend accommodated behind. We
sat in the deep stone-winiow OF the
hotel, looking out on the bright yet
strangely listless, throng, and partook
of ices handed in at the window by a
street vender, who having, served us,
passed Oh down the street, trailing be-
hind him the d~;minuendo repetitlons
of his long, musical cry Mere"
The returning stage from Morella
had not arrived; there were bad, very
bad roads ahead, and no further effort
was made to proceed that day. "1f
not to-day, tomorrow" is a Mexican
proyerb. Possibly the driver did not
care to turn his back on a bull-fight.
A procession of toreroS, in their brilliant
costumes, uplifting a huge garland OF
bdnda7lias and accompanied by a band
paraded the streets. We could not see
the figures distinctly; but we heard the
music-the thrilling dance-muslc OF
the country. As an invitation to the
toros, nothing could have been better.
It did not ~perceptibly stir the loungers
on the stone benches; they were already
convinced; but ], who abhorred the
thing. and would not go in the capital.
fell suddenly under the spell of sense.
less, Intoxicating music, and begged
A. to take ms to the bull-tght with
the rest OF the town! It seemed that
all the town did not 60, for We were
Obliged, in reaching the entrance, to
press through q crowd Chat "smelled
of heavenly Of humble Maravatians,
who remained outside because OF thell
extreme poverty, not from any lack o.
taste for the popular amusement. We
mounted q perilous wooden ladder te
the scaffolding surrounding the arena
The entire structure had been reared
without aid of nails or saw; the
timbers showed the shaping blows o.
the q Y and were dashed together with
ropes of magueY. It may not have beer
particularly safe. but was quite in keep
ing with the performance We had com
to see, which resembled the scenes II
q Roman arena as this rude amphi
theater did the Colosseum. The cit.
authorities sat in the place of tht
Caesars from the stall below the banc
PLAYED the national airs, to accompan.
a dance of clowns, which was inter
rupted by cries of "7'oro, Tore !" from
the spectators. In the great blue ar
of sky above the densely packed seat
the buzzards mounted, wheeled ane
sank. One mountain peak looked dow
at us dispassionately from a long way Of
It was a very vulgar horror. OF all tn
figures 10 the arena the bull seemed
BY far the noblest. In the pauses o
his charges he faced his throng or pei
secutors with q large eyed bewilderment
paving the dust, and taking quicI
breaths of excitement. The space wa
too small for anything but brtchery
there was little skill shown II
defense by the men-not even very lin.
horsemanship. The spiritless blind
folded horses were wantonly sacrificed
absolutely thrust upon the bulls horns
In less than ten minutes n wa
wou1 ded to death. A put his han
before my eyes and, indeed, I coul
not have looked, for I was seized wit
an uncomfortable fit of nervous crying
No nerves, not trained to it for ger
erations, could have stood it'll
cries, the music, the peril-for wretch
ed burlesqne as it was, the simple faS
of death was before our eyes. W
went out ig~uominiously, with all tn
dark-eyed women around looking at l
with fixed curiosity.