Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-31
Cock Fighting in Panay.

Mr.. l.. +. Bennett OF the firm of J. G.
White & Co. New York. who has been max
ing the preliminary survey for the govern
meut railway on Panay, one OF the Philip
pine Islands. describes some OF his expert
ences In a recent letter to friend He
says:
We carried letter OF introduction to
all local officials from the government
which. In most towns. secured us every as
slstance and attention. At Passi, the end
of the first days journey in interior Panay,
We decided to remain over Sunday. accept
ing the invitation of the presidente or mayor
of the town TO stop at his house. He was
a jolly. big. fat fellow. and welcomed us
heartily when he learned our mission. On
Sunday afternoon the presidente invited us
TO attend the municipal cockpit and see the
cock fights. in which be took leading part,
as evidenced by the large number of game
cocks which he kept tied up at his home
On the advice of the mayor the writer put
= on a fine. large. red bird, which be-
longed to him, and easily won the contest
by killing its opponent In less than ten sec
onds by quick thrust from a knife some
three inches long and sharp as a razor
which was fastened TO its leg TO take the
place of a spur. little later In the game
We put all our winnings on a doubtful-look-
ing small white cock. quite against the ad-
vice OF the mayor. for we could not resist
the American Impulse TO back the smallest
man IN the fight, who seemed TO have no
friends. with the usual result that we lost
our money
Men women and children attend the
>COCk lighting. which Is the national sport
0f the natives the Sunday cock fight being
the event OF the week. II is just as well to
take the mayors tip on cock fight, for
obvious reasons. The cock fight is run by
the municipality, and II the mayor loses
very often. new umpire will likely be sp-
pointed
AT Dumerao an interior town of Panay
we stopped TO prepare lunch. and had very
novel experience Just in front of the
mayors residence some large. graceful
bameoos were covered with vampire bats
hanging In the shade between the leaves
with their heads down, idly tanning them
selves with their wings They measured
from three 10 four feet from tip to tip of
their wings and there were hundreds or
them. With the permission Of the mayor
We shot several OF these huge beasts with
n pistol much to the delight of the women
and children OF the mayors family, who
rushed out and secured the dead bats
which are greatly valued as a food delicacy
by the natives l have been told by Ameri-
cans who have tried them that the meat Is
excellent II Is beautiful white meat and
there is no reason why II should not be
wholesome. because the bats live exclusively
upon fruits and berries.
Dangers Of Carabao Hunting.
The next days rafting passed without
nlishap and we arrived in the evening at
small village called Oscaritz. Inhabited by
haIf-eivilized natives. where had ar
ranged to meet Lieut.. Dean. who had been
detailed with the guard He had gone on
ahead over the mountain trail with our
horses, as we were intending to proceed
from this point on horseback. The natives
who first met US informed US that the lieu
tenant had been severely injured by wild
earabao. Our investigation ELECTED the fol-
lowing facts:
1.-The young officer had been very keen on
SHOOTING wild carabao. which Is powerful