The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-10-17
COCK.FIGHTlNG.
An Amusement Which Delights the Ma
tives of Sumatra.


Sumatra, of all places in the world,
is the greatest for cock-fghting. It's
the national sport. A Sumatra father
thinks more of his game cock than he
does of his first.born. They pray TO the
gods for success in their cock battles.
Cock-fighting is called kyabung. and
the pit galanggan. 1t is large inclos-
ure, some twenty feet square. rallied in
by stakes twelve to fourteen feet high,
far enough apart to enable those outside
to see all that is going on within. The
cocks about to fight were handed over
to the care of two officials who direct
the affairs of the ring. They attached
with great care long. double-edged.
steel spurs, sharp as lances. When the
sound of the bedoog announced that
the arena was to be occupied. all other
sports were instantly deserted. The
cocks were brought into the ring by
the proper official, each holding his
bird carefully. with his leg armatures
sheathed. No one but officials. owners
and favored few are admitted into
the inclosure. The two cocks are
held up before each other by the gu
longs, who ruffie for them their neck
feathers, tug their combs, pat them on
their breast and sides, and shake them
with sort of tremulous. ;nstigating
motion. which they perform with
knack and neatness that indicates pro-
fessional hand. The maneuvers, whose
execution are the envy of the on-look.
ers, are initiated by the children who
fight cockerels before they can speak.
When the fowls have been thus excited
they are allowed to have one dig at each
other, just to put them on their mettle,
and with their terrible armatures barred
they were set facing each other few
feet apart; then came the charge. ]
shall never forget, for was utterly un.
prepared for it from the stolid Malay
the yell and deafening shout of savage
delight and excitement that arose from
the up to that moment mute and eager,
but to all appearances unexcited. crowd
as the combatants rushed at each other,
and which was kept up while the con.
flict lasted. nor how the gulongs fol-
lowed on hands and knees, each close
behind his fowl, watching every move
ment in silence with a glazing and ex-
cited eye-the rules of the ring prohib.
iting them from touching or reinstiga.
ting the cocks during the continuance
of round-like nothing can think OF
so much as the intense motion of a
pointer close behind warm scent, and
at every onset they scanned their bird
from side to side to see if it had sus-
tanned any injury. In the first contest
saw both cocks were badly wounded
In the first round, and even faint.
ed away. The seconds and support
ers carried each their bird aside
to apply restoratives, if possibly
they might continue the contest
to final issue. They bathed its head
in cold water, and administered some
with feather down its throat. A cloth
was held over it to keep off the sun, and
smoking pieces of wood held under its
nostrils and over its comb. For time
it seemed as if the worst wounded would
have to be declared vanquished. as il
was unable to enter the lists, but his
spirit came again on instigating him
with strange cock for few minutes.
After the same preliminary patting and
forcing and the solitary dig, they were
again allowed to rush at each other; but
after few skirmishes, the badly.
wounded bird turned tail and was de-
clared the loser. Though the Govern
ment prohibits cock-fighting, yet, on
special occasion, permission is given for
certain number of days for chief to
hold tournament. He charges five
per cent. on all transactions. and fee
from all shareholders as a sort OF
recompense for directing the affair and
keeping order. With this percentage
the Pongeron is enabled to provide a
buffalo at little cost. which is slain
on the last day of this Vanity Fair, fol.
lowed by a general gormandizing. One
hundred and fifty dollars to two hun,
dred dollars often change hands, and as
high as $3.50 has been known to be on
the issue of the fight.-Dr. Forbes, in
Cincinnati Enquirer.