The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-06
A CUBAN BULL-FIGHT.
A REVOLVING SPECTACLE WHICH La
DIES REFUSE TO WITNESS.
The Once Famous Sport Sadly DeteriOr-
ated-weary with Torture, the Unfort-
innate Beast is Dispatched with
Common Butcher Knife.
rHazana Cor. rnter-Ocean. ]

Havana Cor Inter ocean,
At last the trumpet sounded and in
came a motley assemblage First there
was a man on the back of fiery horse,
and very small boy on very small
pony that was TO less spirited. These
two individuals rode up before the judges
box, and paid the usual complimentary
address to him, the boy holding the
mans hat while both sought to quiet
their prancing steeds After these came
q number of men on regular l,OZinantes.
armed with long poles that were bar, ed
men dressed fancifully enough to suit
even an Oscar Wilde. The silk stockings,
handsome knee breeches of the same ma
terinl, and tunes embroidered richly with
gold thread, lent very gay appearance to
the arena Their hair, which appeared
to be long. was done up il a knot on the
crown of the head Their smooth shaved,
powdered faces gave them an appearance
of youth, VIII CHI, | doubt not, was Lett
tious.
Over the lofty arena was a long piece
of cloth of some brilliant color. These
pieces of Goth The bulI-hghters first tossed
up to the audience as mere form, and
prom pity receive them AK again.
The procession also ihciuded three
mules wa Oh were driven abreast, and
were TO be employed in the dragging OF
of the dead bull.
The ring was cleared of all save the s1A
gayly-dressed bull-nghters and three OF
the Knights mounted on living st.eietOns in
the the way horse esh. The trumpet
sou uded, the gates Ope ed. and IN pranced
bull NO l. There are always, or nearly
always, four s.aug Htered at a light poh
his back was inned a rosetIe
Colored streamers. also OF pa
per. The bull rushed with snort as far
across the arena as the palisade would
permit him to go. Then he turned and
started across toward another point, only
to be again ba ed. BY this time the
bull lighters got into his path, one after
another, and shook their brilliantly col
ored cloths in his face Thus irritated,
the bull would make charge upon the
cloth; but of course the actor always
managed TO jump aside at the critical
moment and so escape all harm.
Then the mounted knights were called
into requisitiOn. 1t is commentary upon
the deterioration of the bull-tight in Cuba
that the horses used are the very poorest
and most decrepit that the whole island
affords, and are blindfolded before they
are led into the arena in order that they
may not see the enemy with which they
are TO contend.
The men wore sombreros and had their
legs padded up to the thigh. They would
urge their trembling horses toward the
bull, and seek to give a blow with a
spear The result was seldom more than a
scratch, but the bull gored the horse with
unfailing regularity, and threw him in
such way that he would fall on one of
the riders padded limbs, infiicting only
slight damage. Other men would then
endeavOr to help the poor, whinneying
beast to his feet, and if this was possible,
urge him into the fray again. But usu-
ally the horse was SO badly gored that he
had to be removed
Presently the mounted knights were
Withdrawn, and other tortures began. The
six brave" men shot barbed arrows into
the bulls neck, arrows that were gay with
bright colOred papers in manifold designs.
There was some skill displayed in this,
for the men had to wait until the bull
was almost upon them. then dodge and
as the bull rushed by, llnge the barbed
weapon at him. Of course no bow was
used In hurting this instrument The ar
row would catch in the tough hide and
fasten itself SO tightly that the bull could
not easily shake it of, although he would
try hard, the while he paved the earth in
fury.
Not having sufficiently Infatuated the
bull, special arrows were them employed,
which were loaded with explosives at the
barbed end, and would burst with ter
ing and burning the flesh cruelty. Pieces
of these fireworks few up as high as the
seat upon which | was sitting.
at length the bugle sounded for the
last act of torture The leader of the six
bull fighters took a long, thin, pliable
sword, and, with red cloth in the other
hand, advanced to the bull Waving the
cloth, he would induce the bull to charge
Then he would spring aside. and dexter
sRs1alu DlI1n Uo tho cNUOrd in of hn haoty Of
the neck or about the shoulders. Some
times he would fail in this; sometimes the
sword would barely stick into the flesh
and oscillate there;- sometimes it would
go through the hide simply and come out
perhaps a foot below, looking like a
needle in piece of cloth that has been
dropped for a moment by some dress
maker sometimes the sword would 60 in
to the hilt, q distance of three feet
At each cruel stroke the bull would
below loudly. but his vitality remained
for long time undiminished, although
the blood was dripping from a dozet
holes, and two swords were plunged hilt
deep into his Lack.
Gradually he grew weaker, but would
had contracted for the carcasses accord
ingly lassoed him the fatal point in the
neck was p creed with common butcher
knife and three mules dragged OF the
body amid stirring strains from the brass
and
l may remark in vindication of the
Cula men that The repud ale the
Ot4clsi e ia lc I'D refuse attend II
n the occas IN question there were
scs-c1 a o en- ladies' present some
f5anisL. but The ma orit American
tourists.
Large Car-Wheels.