Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-07
THE MANLY ART u AFRICA.

Ring Contests That Have Some Resemblance
to Our Singing Matches.
Dancing is the great amusement in At
| RIGA, but In some parts OF the continent
pugilism has many admirers. prize
fight in the Feliata country south of the
Sahara desert has not a few Resemblance
TO our own sport, though it is much more
dangerous and exciting. There are no
gloves, or London or Queensberry rules
TO secure fair play. The Haussa boxers
mean business from tbs start, and not
unfrequently the fight is ended by the
death or fatal injury OF one of the com
oatants.
Pugilistic exhibitions as they are giver
at Kano, the chief city of Paussa, are
fought for puoses or prizes. The ring is
formed by the spectators, who stand in a
circle. and are not permitted to encroac'a
upon the interior space. The fighters
are trained boxers usually drawn from
the butchers of kano, and are big ath-
letic men who enter the ring wearing
nothing but native waist cloth.
There is no such thing in the prize
ring as friendly contests. The results
are apt to be too serious for that, and a
pugilist does not give public exhibitions
with friends, but only with enemies or
strangers. They usually begin q mill By
parrying with the left and striking when
ever opportunity occurs, with the right
Then they go at it hammer and tongs,
aiming generally at the pit of the
stomach and below the ribs. At close
quarters each pugilist does his level best
to get the other fellows head in chancery,
and the one who succeeds hammers away
with all his might on his rivals cocoanut.
He does not scrHple to gouge an eye out
if he gets chance. The Haussa fighters
believe that all is fair in ring contests,
and the spectators agree with them. The
only restriction is that they must use
only such weapons of ofense as nature
has provided.
Often when clinchiug fighter succeeds
in giving his rival a terrible blow with his
knee. The ribs are sometimes crushed
by kick. Many of the pugillsts are able
to strike terrible blows, and sledge
hammer knock under the ear sometimes
costs the unfortunate fighter his life.
The puligists are not separated as long
as they wish to keep at it, but now and
then they break away for a brief breath
ing spell. There is a master of ceremon-
les, who sees that the crowd does not en-
cToach on the ground reserved for the
fighters. The battle continues until one
of the contestants is laid out cold OF cries
enough. There are no seconds, and it
would be the grossest breach of ring
etiquette for any one to touch the fighters
while the mill is in progress. just inside
the enclosure several drummers are
stationed; and they keep up terrible
din while the fight is in progress.
When several fights were arranged for
the benefit or Major Clapperton, he said
ne would not witness them if the men
were allowed to main or kill one another.
He arranged before the battle came off
that the contestants were to be separated
as in his opinion they became little too
earnest. He thought the exhibition even
then, was indescribably brutal, though, in
accordance with his wishes, all its worst
features were eliminated.
1t is evident that prize fights in the
Soudan are anything but scientific con-
tests, but it can be said for them at least
that the best man is not cheated out of
his laurels by the improper interference
of the other fellows friends.