The North Carolina Standard

FROM THE KNICKERBOCKER.

BULL FIGHT.

AT SANTA MARIA.

BY GEORGE HILL.

The 23rd of July being the festival of St. James of Compostella, we left Cadiz at an early hour and crossed the Bay to witness the Bull fight which in honor of that worthy, was to take place at Santa Maria.

At 4 P. M. we entered the theatre, an immense edifice the circumference of which could not have been less than two thousand feet. The arena, or pit, was encircled by a barrier five feet high, in front of which and at short intervals were planted small out posts, as points to which the foot combatants might, in case of danger, retreat, and as stations for the guards. Behind the barrier rose, to the height of from twenty to thirty feet, tiers of seats, in the manner of steps, and above and beyond them, a double gallery.— They were together capable of containing from ten to fifteen thousand spectators, and long before the commencement, of the performance, completely filled.

From the groups below, our eyes were soon turned to the more attractive, though less picturesque, spectacle in the upper seats, where rows of beautiful women, their necks. arms and hands, loaded and sparkling with jewelry, were seen rising one above another, like flowers in a conservatory.

Suddenly the hum of voices subsided, the water venders ceased their cry, and the flourish of trumpets announced the entrance of the Governor.

There was a second flourish. the door at the opposite extremity of the lists opened, a detachment of soldiers were marched in, and having seen the arena cleared of its last straggler, stationed in pairs at the out posts.— They were followed by the combatants, consisting of the picadores, or pikemen on horseback, and the chulos bandarilleros, or dartmen, and matadores on foot.

Having advanced and saluted the Governor, they were divided into two companies and were drawn up in a line, one on each side of the door by which the Bull was to enter.

The picadores wore low crowned, broad brimmed drab colored hats, at the sides of which were fastened knots, of white and yellow riband.— Their jackets were of red cloth, laced with gold; from the waist to the feet they were heavily clad in Buckskin, lined with cork.

They were mounted on high peaked Morisco saddles, with shovel stirrups, and bore each a long lance, or pike the ends of which were armed with short iron points. Of all the combatants, the picadore, the matadore perhaps excepted, incurs the greatest hazard and it is to his skill, courage, and coolness in the encounter with the Bull that the spectacle mainly owes its interest. The dress of the chulos. dartmen and matadores consisted of jackets, and knee breeches of green or blue cloth, laced with silver, light cloaks or mantles, of different colors, red sashes, white hose, and sandals.

The combatants having taken their stations all eyes were now turned and fixed on the door by which the Bull was to enter. Most of the spectators, had, in their eagerness and impatience, started to their feet. A single voice was heard to exclaim, 'The Bull! the bull!' but was instantly hissed into silence. The moment at length came. The trumpets sounded, the door opened, he bounded into the arena, and was received by a shout which shook the theatre to its foundation. He was a gigantic yet beautiful specimen of his tribe. to which. compared with the animal that commonly bears his name, he indeed seemed hardly to belong. A short iron barb to which stripes of red and white riband were attached, had just before he had entered, been driven into his back. He seemed not to feel it, but having been pent up weeks like a felon in his cell, and subject to a preparatory course of torture, to be conscious only of a wild and exulting sense of freedom. It was, however, of but short duration. At the sight of the barrier, and the thousands who filled the seats behind it, he paused, surveyed them with a look of wonder and distrust, and then wheeled and retreated to the door. Finding it closed he sprang furiously towards the barrier, but, as if in despair of clearing it, stopped short and facing the picadores, dropped his head, with the intent apparently. to provoke or defy the attack. At this instant there was a third flourish, as a signal for a chulo to advance. Holding his cloak closely folded in his left hand. the one nearest the bull quickly ran up, and when within a few feet of his horns, grasped and displayed it with his right, and was pursued by him, and driven for shelter to the out posts. A second then left his station, at the opposite side of the ring being hard pressed in his retreat, dropped his cloak and leaped the barrier.

The Bull seemed to regard the garment as a part of the man, and gored, trampled and tossed it in fragments about the arena. The rest then one by one, advanced, till at length he was encircled by the whole troop. now one and now another running up and fluttering his cloak, or with it streaming behind him, or let fall as he fled nimbly escaping, though often, but by a well timed and dexterous leap of the barriers, from the horns of his enraged and headlong pursuer.

One of them had the mishap to stumble and fall. The bull rushed on with an intent to gore him, and a shriek was heard from some one—probably his chère amie—of the women in the galleries. The fellow had the presence of mind, however, to seize his cloak, raise it at arms length above his breast, and thereby so far divert the aim of the bull as to escape unhurt.— Ashamed of his mishap and encouraged by the cheers of the spectators, he sprang nimbly to his feet, seized the bull by the horns, and leaped over his back, and amid a thunder of applause, escaped to the nearest outpost.

The picadores had till this moment remained at their stations, and taking neither part, nor, as it seemed, interest, in the game. The signal was now made for them to advance; and having raised their pikes, and spurred their horses into the ring they galloped them in a circle about the bull, till, roused and exasperated by the eruption of this fresh band of assailants, he at length wheeled and selected the object of his attack. Thus menaced, the rider reined up his horse, and presented his pike. The Bull dropped his head, charged, and received the point of it in his breast. but. despite the resistance of the man and weapon, drove his horns into the body of the horse, let out his entrails; and laid him, with his rider, rolling and writhing in the dust At the instant of the attack, the chulos ran up and endeavored, by fluttering their cloaks, to divert it. He now turned and drove them one by one to the out posts. He then rushed on the nearest horse, forced him against the barrier, beat in his ribs, and plunged his horns into his vitals, and laid him, with the blood gushing from his mouth and nostrils, dead at his feet.— The rider had disappeared, and I expected nothing less than to see him dragged out crushed and lifeless. from under the carcass of the animal he had but the moment before so gallantly bestrode.

He was at length extricated, and though so badly hurt he could neither well move or stand. a fresh horse having been brought he was lifted into the saddle, and having grasped his pike and adjusted his sombrero, seemed as he sat grim and upright, covered with blood and dust, to defy not only the bull but the devil. A murmur of applause ran through the theatre. and truly if stoicism, be a virtue he deserved it. The next pic adero was more fortunate. having succeeded though not without a long and desperate struggle, in turning the bull, and thereby saving his horse, a feat for which he was rewarded by the plaudits, loud and long, of the spectators.— These however, I observe were for the most part, as they should have been, reserved for the bull. Of the six horses, he next encountered, two were killed, and the rest repeatedly gored and thrown, and at length so far disabled as to be with difficulty led off alive, or left pawing with agony, and making desperate but unavailing efforts to rise. In several instances a horse was galloped about with his entrails trailing in the dust. till torn asunder by the repeated strokes of his hoofs. and in this state compelled as he best might, to sustain a fresh attack.

The trumpet again sounded, the picadores withdrew to their stations, and the banderilleros advanced grasping each a brace of barbed darts, the long heavy shafts of which were enveloped in a loose net work. Running quickly up, till they came nearly in contact with the horns of the bull they let fly their missiles with the intent to fix them deeply and firmly in the fore and upper part of his shoulders. The first attempt was a failure, and the assailants withdrew, amid the hisses of the spectators. It indeed seemed to be a feat the right execution of which required no small degree of strength, courage and skill. At one time a dart would strike the bone and recoil, with its barb either bent or broken; at another be so slightly infixed as to become detached by its own weight, or a single shake of the bull's brawny neck. He was now
Wrought to a pitch of rage and a torture little short of downright madness, and ran wildly about the arena, goring and tossing aside such of the dead horses as lay in his way, and putting to flight the whole troop of chulos and dart men. At length he stopped short before one of the out-posts, and having for an instant fixed his blood-stained eyes on the group it sheltered, drove his shaggy head against it, as if determined to prostrate it by a single blow or dash out his brains in the attempt. Foiled in this effort he plunged headlong towards the door, near which the matadore or death man, whom he at length confronted, had already taken his stand. He was a short, but thick set, sinewy, well made man: a red cloak was thrown across his left arm; in his right hand he held a long slender sword. At the blast of the trumpet, he stepped forth, and, having passed before and saluted the Governor addressed himself to his task. Approaching the bull, with a deliberate yet firm step, and a watchful but determined eye, he placed himself so as to be able, by a slight movement to the right, to receive the thrust of his horns on the cloak, and having levelled the point of his sword at a part of the neck just forward of the right shoulder, resolutely awaited the shock. It came: the weapon failed of effect, and was hurled as the bull sprang past him in the air. A murmur of displeasure ran through the assembly, and cries were heard 'fool! coward! away with him!' He seemed not to heed them, but with a composed, resolute look, resumed his position, and presented his sword. The bull rushed on, the blade was buried to the hilt in his vitals, and having staggered towards the door, he fell, with the blood spouting from his mouth, and nostrils, and was instantly despatched by the stroke of a knife in his neck.

The trumpets were sounded, the door at the opposite extremity of the list was thrown open, and four spirited horses, richly caparisoned, sprang in abreast, and were lashed, tossed their heads and jangling their bells, at full speed across the arena, the shaft of their traces was then made fast into the horns and head of the bull, and he was dragged out at a gallop. The dead horses having in like manner been removed, others were brought in, and notwithstanding the crippled state of the picadores, most of whom had been repeatedly thrown, were instantly mounted, and galloped to their stations. The trumpets once more sounded, and in bounded a second bull. As if apprised of the fate of his fellow, and determined without loss of time, to avenge it, he did not wait for the attack of the chulos, but sprang furiously at the nearest picadore, gored him under the right flank tore out his entrails and threw him with such violence against the barrier, that he fell and expired without a single struggle. His rider covered with blood and dust, his pike staff broken, and sombrero crushed, was dragged out from under him, and borne off, whether dead or alive I was unable to learn. A second and third horse were in quick succession and in like manner despatched; the riders grasping their pike staves with both hands driving the points of them into the breast or shoulders of the bull and struggling with all their might to repel or turn him, till hurled headlong from their seats, or with violence against the barrier.

A few of the women now retired, and one fainted. They were, observe, ladies of a certain age, and not remarkable for their good looks. The young and handsome kept their colors and their places. From a total overthrow or dispersion of the combatants on this side of the arena the bull now crossed on the other, a frightful yet pitiable object, his nostrils spread, his eyes flashing, his horns dyed, and his forehead, breast and sides bathed in blood. Nothing daunted, however, one of the picadores on that side rode up and presented the point of his pike. His horse was instantly gored, lifted from his feet, thrown with his rider across the back of the bull and thence headlong to the ground. Of the five horses which he afterwards attacked, three were killed on the spot. Assailed by the dartmen till his shoulders bristled like a quiver head with their shafts he was at length encountered by the sword of the matadore, who, at the first trial, drove it to his heart. Even after receiving his death-blow, he neither quailed nor retreated, but fell with his eyes confronting, and his horns levelled at his antagonist, as if bent on collecting all his remaining energies for the last desperate assault.

Six bulls were afterwards let in, and in like manner encountered and killed. The number of horses killed was eighteen, and of twenty more, the greater part were led off more dead than alive. The courage and strength of the fifth bull seeming to flag, the nettling of the darts were charged with fire works and he bounded madly about the arena, astounded and tormented by their exploding contents, and enveloped in a cloud of flame, sparks, and smoke.