OUR LIFE AT RIO DE JANEIRO. 193 



that the Brazilian bull-fights are very tame as compared 

 with those in Spain, yet I was unprepared for such an 

 utter fiasco as the affair turned out. Hearing that the 

 ground was not far from our office, Mr. Large and I 

 decided to walk there, and not take a tram ; but, being 

 misdirected, we lost some time in finding the locality. At 

 last, however, we came to the place. The entrance was 

 crowded, and a large banner was hung across the street, 

 on which was the figure of a bull, with lowered head and 

 swishing tail, and the words, " To-day, a fight of large 

 and savage bulls." There was also a great display of 

 bunting. We entered through a gateway under a house, 

 and went into a field, where a wooden amphitheatre or 

 circus was erected. There were two prices for the tickets 

 "sol" (sunshine), $2, and "sombra" (shade), $3. We 

 selected the shade, and then nerved ourselves for the 

 sanguinary scene by a bottle of excellent iced national 

 beer, at only two and a half times the ordinary price. We 

 arrived at 4.20, and the affair was to begin at 4.30, but the 

 band was already playing. 



On entering we found rows of wooden seats in tiers 

 all round the circus, with a barrier half-way across, reaching 

 to the inner ring. On one side of this barrier were the 

 $2 seats, on the other side the $3. As half the $2 seats 

 were in the shade, we saw that we might have saved $i 

 a-piece, which we much regretted not having done. In 

 the middle of the $2 seats was a platform, with a railed 

 hole, surrounded by men with goads, who lifted up certain 

 internal doors, and then opened others on to the arena to 

 admit the savage (?) animals. This space, which was, of 

 course, spread with sand, was surrounded by boards about 

 breast high, outside which was a ring some four feet wide 

 for the men to vault into when pursued. 



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