SPANISH BULL-FIGHTS. 



Carcasses. Such is still the mania for these cruel 

 arguments, that the butchery of the brutal and the 

 winged tribes, it is likely, will soon be reduced 

 to a regular system, and enrolled among the num 

 ber of the fine arts. For, an octavo volume, of 

 470 pages, which has already passed through 

 three editions, has been lately published, entitled, 

 &quot; Instructions to young Sportsmen in all that re 

 lates to Game and Shooting :&quot; by Lieut. Colo 

 nel Hawker. The author, after having stated 

 that he has now lost his eyes and nerves for a 

 good shot, says &quot; The greatest pleasure that can 

 possibly remain for me, is to resign the little I 

 have learned for the benefit of young sportsmen. 

 The rising generation of shooters might other 

 wise be left for many years,to find out all these little 

 matters.&quot; And a most important loss, doubtless, 

 the rising generation would have sustained, had 

 not the worthy Colonel condescended to commu 

 nicate his discoveries ! I was lately making an 

 excursion in a steam-boat, through one of the 

 Scottish lakes. Among the passengers were 

 several of the sporting gentry, furnished with all 

 their requisite accoutrements, who seemed to en 

 joy a higher gratification in disturbing the happi 

 ness of the feathered tribes, than in contemplat 

 ing the natural beautiesof the surrounding scene. 

 When any of these hapless animals appeared in 

 view, a hue and cry commenced, a shot was pre 

 pared, and a musket levelled at the unoffending 

 creatures, which created among them universal 

 agitation and alarm. Some of them were kill 

 ed ; and others, doubtless, maimed, and re der- 

 ed miserable for life ; while no human being 

 could enjoy the least benefit from such wanton 

 cruelty. To kill, or even to maim any living crea 

 ture that is doing us no harm, and when there is 

 no possibility, nor even a desire, to procure its 

 carcass for food, cannot, I should think, hy any 

 sophistry of reasoning, be construed into an act 

 of benevolence.* 



I cannot, here, forbear inserting a passage 

 from &quot; Salt s Travels in Abyssinia,&quot; which ex 

 hibits a very different spirit in one whom some 

 would be disposed to rank among the class of 

 semi-barbarians. &quot; In the evening, Baharnegash 

 Yasons, a servant of the Ras (of Abyssinia) *vho 

 had attended me during my whole stay in the 

 country, took his leave. Among all the men 



* In throwing out these reflections, the author by 

 no means wishes to insinuate, that it is improper in 

 every instance, to kill any of the inferior animals ; 

 his remarks being directed solely against the prac 

 tice of wantonly maiming or destroying them for the 

 sake of mere sport or amusement. Even in those cases 

 where it may appear expedient or necessary, to ex 

 tirpate a portion of the animal tribes, it appears 

 somewhat strange, that gentlemen should be the vo 

 luntary agents employed in this work of destruction 

 aAd thai their minds should be so much absorbed in 

 the satisfaction which it creates. One would have 

 tho-jcht that the very lowest class of the community 

 would have been selected for this purpose, as there 

 is scmethinc: naturally revolting in the employment 

 of destroying the life of any sensitive beinjj. 



with whom I have been intimately \ 

 consider this old man as one of tnel 

 and blameless characters. His mir 

 be formed upon the purest princJ 

 Christian religion ; his every thought^arid action 

 appeared to be the result of its dictates. He 

 would often, to ease his mule, walk more than 

 half the day; and as he journeyed by my side, 

 continually recited prayers for our welfare and 

 future prosperity. On all occasions he sought to 

 repress in those around him, every improper 

 feeling of anger ; conciliated them by the kindest 

 words, and excited them, by his example, to an 

 active performance of their duties. If a man 

 were weary, he would assist him in carrying his 

 burden ; if he perceived any of the mules backs 

 to be hurt, he would beg me to have them reliev 

 ed ; and, constantly, when he saw me engaged 

 in shooting partridges, or other birds, he would 

 call out to them to fly out of the way, shaking his 

 head, and begging me, in a mournful accent, not 

 to kill them. I have remarked, in my former 

 journal, that, with all this refined feeling of hu 

 manity, he was far from being devoid of courage ; 

 and, I had an opportunity, subsequently, of wit 

 nessing several instances of his bravery, though 

 he appeared on all occasions peculiarly anxious 

 to avoid a quarrrel. We parted, I believe, with 

 mutual regret ; at least for my own part, I can 

 truly say, that I have seldom felt more respect 

 for an individual than I did for this worthy man.&quot; 

 As a contrast to the benevolent dispositions 

 displayed by this worthy Abyssinian, I shall 

 give a short description of a bull-fight, in Mad 

 rid, extracted from a work, the author of which 

 was a spectator (in 1803) of the scene he de 

 scribes. &quot; The Spanish bull-fights are certainly 

 the most extraordinary exhibition in Europe : we 

 were present at one of them this morning. The 

 places in the amphitheatre were nearly all filled 

 at half past nine, and at ten, the corregidor came 

 into his box ; upon which the trumpet sounded, 

 and the people rose and shouted, from the delight 

 that the show was to begin immediately. Four 

 men in black gowns then came forward, and read 

 a proclamation, enjoining all persons to remain 

 in their seats. On their going out of the arena, 

 the six bulls which were to be fought this morn 

 ing, were driven across, led on by a cow, with a 

 bell round her neck. The two Picadores (the 

 men who were appointed to fight the furious ani 

 mals) now appeared, dressed in leathern gaiters, 

 thick leathern breeches, silk jackets covered with 

 spangles, and caps surmounted by broad brimmed 

 while hats ; each rode a miserable hack, and 

 carried in his hand a long pole, with a goad at 

 the end. As soon as they were prepared, a door 

 was opened, and the first bull rushed in. In the 

 course of the contest, I felt first alarmed for the 

 men, and then for the horses. Soon the acci 

 dents of the men withdrew my pify from the 

 beasts; and, latterly, by a natural, and dreadful 



