The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08
MALAYAN BULL FIGHTS.
Less Exciting Than In Spain, bat Lots ol
Sport for the Natives.

bpOft HOE tuo NoNVe0.
A Malayan bull fight, In contrast to q
Spanish bull fight, Is o comparatively tame
affair, writes q Pahang correspondent Of
the Pail Mall Gazette. There Ia little Of O
show or pageant about It; no huge enclosed
ring with it's tiers and tiers of seats filled
with fashionable Spanish beauties In grace
full mantillas waving multicolored fans;
no poor blindfolded horses to be tortured
no picsdors, no dart planting banderil-
leros, and no espadas TO risk their lives In
o-called sport.
In Malaga the BULLS and bufaloes only
follow their own natural instincts and hght
with their own kind, without being goaded
on to the combat by having darts plunged
into them, and horses not being used there
are none OF the brutal and disgusting sights
too often witnessed in a Spanish bull ring.
1t ID, In fact, bull fighting gu ndturel. stripped
Of ell artificial oruelties, and II less exciting
Is infinitely more sporting, though to
Spaniards, all elements Of personal danger
being omitted, It would doubtless seem Q
deadly dull affair.
Bidden by the Sultan to a bull fight, I
arrived at the appointed place due to time,
2 O'Clock, but the Sultan did not put in an
appearance until 4 O'Clock, the ~lateness Of
his arrival being really only custom, for
whenever any show Of this sort 10 IN the
Of hours too early. Just outside the old
chiefs house, where we assembled, wa tho
ring, q primitive arrangement, merely an
open earth space not fenced in any way.
All round the circle squatted a motley crowd
o. o. about three or four hundred natives,
"sarongs' for the function.
The bulls were led In by the nose, each
by a Malay, and when within a few yards
Of each other let 60 and given a shove.
They met with a crash, and then followed
q pushing match, their horns for the most
part being locked together, with a break
away now end again and then another bump
together. The two bulls in this case were
badly ,m~atched-father and son, the latter
a much moro powerful animal with etouter
horns. The fight lasted only about six
fed, chased by his son. A general STAN
pede took place, after a n opening had been
forced, every one rushing after the bulls
to secure them and bring them back for
be examined.
Next day I vent up river again to the
better sport than the other, as the butfaloes
were immensely powerful brutes and very
we'll matched, the fight lasting about ten
minutes before n got a wound in the corner
Of his eye and in consequence abruptly
turned tail and was chased of the ground
by his opponent. In these fights n buffalo
always defends his home and will only
fight when another comes into his own
particular haunt.
In nearly every case the one defending
his home proved the victor. spurred on. I
suppose. by patriotic feeling. As the
sent for another couple of bufYaloes, but
when they arrived, after a twenty minutes
wait, they absolutely refused to fight
and were obliged to be led away again.
When buffaloes are really well matched, as
among ar sne the the MssIay; ,n bur in he fres ordinarv %ay
one buffalo turns tail after a few minutes
charging and snorting and the whole thing
Is over.