■302 



A VOYAGE T 



»777- both fides fing the vidory, and then they engage again. 

 Eiit no perfon, who has been vanquillied, can engage with 

 his conqueror a fecond time. 



The boxers advance fide-v/ays, changing the fide at every 

 pace, with one arm (Iretched fully out before, the other be- 

 hind; and holding a piece of cord in one hand, which they 

 wrap firmly about it, when they find an antagonift, or elfe 

 have done fo before they enter. This, I imagine, they do, 

 to prevent a diflocation of the hand or fingers. Their blows 

 are directed chiefly to the head; but fometimes to the fides j 

 .and are dealt out with great activity. They fhift fides, 

 and box equally well with both hands. But one of their 

 favourite and mofl dextrous blows, is, to turn round on 

 their heel, jufl as they have flruck their antagonift, and to 

 give him another very fmart one v/ith the otlier hand back- 

 ward. 



The boxing matches feldom lafl long ; and the parties 

 either leave off together, or one acknowledges his being beat. 

 But they never fing the fong of victory in thefe cafes, unlefs 

 one flrikes his adverfary to the ground ; which fliews, that, 

 of the two, wi-eflling is their moft approved diverfion. 

 Not only boys engage, in both the exercifes, but frequently 

 little girls box very obflinately for a fliort time, hi all 

 which cafes, it doth not appear, that they ever confider it 

 as the fmalleft difgrace to be vanquiflied ; and the perfon 

 overcome fits down, with as much indifference, as if he had 

 never entered the lifts. Some of our.people ventured to con- 

 tend with them in both exercifes, but were always worfted; 

 except in a few inftances, where it appeared, that the fear 

 they were in of offending us, contributed more to the vic- 

 ,jX)Ey, than the fuperiority of the perfon they engaged. 



r|- The 



