SPAN IS 11 CATTLE.] C A T T L K, AND TIIEIli VAiMETIES. [spanisii catile. 



come to the rescue, tlra\vinj» off the bull's at- 

 tt'iitiun from liiin, and invitiii<^ its attack ; till 

 the cnragod animal, distractod by the number, 

 quicIuiosH, and inanu'uvros of his antagonists, 

 and wearied with vain ell'orts, ceases the pur- 

 suit. Tlie den is tlicu thrown open, and ho 

 generally retires of his own accord, as if glad 



brutes, and the danger to man and horse. 

 Such sport frequently takes place in the great 

 forest of Alemtejo, whero an eye-wiltiess of 

 one thus describes it:— "I iiad received," he 

 s.'iys, " intimation that the village of Alcoxete, 

 on the Tagus, was to be the scene of a bull- 

 light, and that tlio villagers, for many miles, 



to escape. When the bull, as is sometimes | were invited to join in tiie hunt, whielj was to 

 the ease, perseveringly follows a man, and lake place the following day. I acconlingly 

 jiresses him hard, he catches hold of one of i crossed the river in the company of about 

 the iron rings, placed at certain distances twenty persons, each being provided with t. 



round the wall enclosing the arena ; and, by a 

 rapid movement, springs to the top, which, 

 like a terrace, runs round the foot of the 

 lower scats of the amphitheatre. The height 

 of this parapet is six or seven feet ; and it 

 requires great agility, strength, and presence 

 of mind, as well as precision, to avoid being 

 junncd to the wall in the act of taking the 

 leap. Such accidents sometimes happen ; but 

 when the Giostratori see one of their number 

 thus endangered, they use every means to 

 divert the bull's attention. The bull (and 

 al.-5o the buffalo) is, on some occasions, baited 

 with fierce dogs of the Corsican breed, re- 

 sembling our bull-dog, and distinguished by 

 the same " tenacity of tooth" and indomitable 

 courage. These dogs usually pin the bull by 

 the nose or lip ; but are very frequently tossed 

 in the air, or ripped up by the sharp horns of 

 the maddened animal. At these exhibitions, 

 strange to say, females are among the specta- 

 tors, and not less interested than the rougher 

 sex. Some of the bulls procured in the Cam- 

 ])agna of Eome are very noble and spirited 

 animals, of fine figure and great strength. 



CATTLE OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 



In Spain and Portugal, where extensive wilds 

 and forest lands afford ample pasturage, large 

 herds of oxen, born in freedom, wander un- 

 controlled and untroubled, excepting by man, 

 from -whom they flee with precipitation, till 

 roused to fury by his assaults, when they at- 

 tack in turn, and bear upon him with resistless 

 impetuosity. It is from these herds that the 

 Spaniards and Portuguese select the fiercest 

 and boldest for the revolting contests of the 

 arena; while others are tamed, and brokeu-in 

 for the ordinary purposes of husbandry. It is 

 easy to imagine the excitement produced by 

 the chase and capture of a herd of these fierce 



long pole, having a small spike fixed in one 

 end, and mounted as inclination or abditv 

 suited. AVhon we arrived at t!ie opposite 

 bank, a little before daybreak, we found about 

 250 or 300 persons assembled, some mounted 

 on different sorts of quadrupeds— from the 

 noble Andalusiau horse to the humble donkey ; 

 and many were on foot. All were armed in a 

 similar manner to ourselves. Wc divided into 

 two parties — one stretching in a long Hue to 

 the right, the other to the left. AVe had not 

 advanced far, in this manner, when wo fell-ia 

 with a herd of cattle, having twelve bulls with 

 it; which no sooner descried us, than they 

 bounded off with the speed of lightning. Tiie 

 sport had now begun. We put our horses to 

 the utmost speed, threading our way among 

 the tall pine-trees as well as we could, and 

 endeavouring by wild cries to drive the bulls 

 towards the other party. At length, after about 

 an hour's chase, some half-dozen of us, who 

 were better mounted than the rest, came up 

 with them, and commenced the attack with 

 our long poles. The manner was this :— One 

 person, riding at full speed, gave the bull nearest 

 him a sharp prick with the goad, which it no 

 sooner felt, than it turned upon its assailant 

 and gave chase ; another horseman then coming 

 up, attacked it on tlie other side, when, leaving 

 the first assailant, it turned upon the second; 

 he, in like maimer, was rescued by a third, 

 and so on. The atteutiou of the infuriated 

 animal was thus so distracted as to prevent his 

 escape, and give time for the other hunters to 

 come up. The bulls were thus at length sepa- 

 rated from the herd; and a sufficient number 

 of persons having arrived to form a circle 

 round them, we commenced operations for the 

 purpose of driving them towards the town. 

 All the skill of the riders was now necessary, 

 and all the activity possessed by both man and 



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