SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



weight according to agreement was not a 

 hindrance to their being ' main ' battles. 

 When a greater difference in weight occurred 

 they were termed ' bye ' battles. Entrance 

 to the cockpit was charged pretty high in 

 order that the receipts might realize some- 

 thing towards the expenses and keep out the 

 ' rough ' element. The distinctive marks and 

 colours of each cock after being weighed 

 were entered in a book with so much parti- 

 cularity as almost to render it impossible to 

 substitute another in place of the one whose 

 description was recorded. The book was 

 produced when the cocks were brought into 

 the pit ready and eager for action. For seven 

 or eight days before the cocks were weighed 

 they were subjected to a course of physicking 

 and spare regimen. They were sparred 

 amongst thickly strewn straw with ' muffles ' 

 on in place of gloves, tied over their short- 

 ened spurs to prevent injury ; about two or 

 three sparrings were usually given in the 

 course of their training. This not only got 

 them into practice and improved their wind, 

 but also rendered them eager, so that they 

 would commence fighting at once on being 

 put down, since in a match a cock that 

 walked round his opponent and crowed 

 would probably be struck by the other cock 

 before he had begun fighting. Too much 

 sparring had a contrary effect, and would de- 

 stroy their courage. These proceedings were 

 watched by the experienced feeder with the 

 greatest care, and were intended to clean out 

 and purify the system, and to reduce the 

 weight of each bird as much as was thought 

 prudent prior to strong food being given. 

 Some feeders and trainers reduced their cocks 

 more than others, and in consequence were 

 enabled when pitted against their opponents 

 to show a bigger looking bird. This system 

 without great care and judgment was liable 

 to be attended with bad consequences. Full 

 strength and vigour fighting pitch could 

 not be got up before fighting time, and the 

 battle was sometimes thus sacrificed through 

 want of stamina. After weighing, instruc- 

 tion and description duly registered, they 

 were hurried from the weighing room to 

 their own numbered pen, and served with a 

 most generous and nourishing feed. This 

 first good meal since being penned consisted 

 of fresh warm new milk and ' cock loaf,' a 

 rich bread made with great care from fine 

 flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and sometimes a few 

 currants thrown in. After this first meal the 

 feeding was continued with the same pre- 

 pared bread, whites of eggs, barley sugar, and 

 many curious compounds which the feeder 

 might think requisite. Great attention was 



paid to cleanliness and having the straw in 

 their pens changed constantly. The skill and 

 judgment of the feeder had to be continually 

 on the alert during the preparation and feed- 

 ing for the important day of battle. Some 

 hardy constitutioned thriving birds will jump 

 up into condition much more readily than 

 others, and have to be fed accordingly ; in- 

 deed each bird in the pen required careful 

 watching, no two being treated exactly alike. 

 It was astonishing how readily a well walked, 

 sound constitutioned pen of two-year-old 

 cocks recovered and gained flesh after a vio- 

 lent reducing process when they came to 

 have good feed at regular intervals. Success- 

 ful feeding, the making the cock fight cool, 

 right in his wind, ready with the spur, and to 

 wear well could not be achieved without 

 much study and long experience. The suc- 

 cess too must be on at the right time, for it 

 is a well-known fact that the cocks only re- 

 mained in full and complete fighting trim for 

 a few hours. At noon they might be capable 

 of splitting a thread, and in four hours un- 

 able, in cocking phraseology, to ' hit a pair o' 

 barn doors.' 



As an instance of the hold that cockfight- 

 ing had over educated men it may be men- 

 tioned that one of its most enthusiastic fol- 

 lowers was John Wilson, sometime Professor 

 at Edinburgh. Before his drawing-room at 

 Elleray was completed there was a main 

 fought in it, a pit being fitted up with sods 

 from the adjacent ground. 



A match which illustrates this question of 

 management was the big meeting at Chester, 

 when an Ulverston gentleman met a party of 

 Chester gentlemen for 50 a battle and 

 1,000 the main. The Ulverston man took 

 with him some of the finest cocks ever put 

 down in a pit. One half were black red 

 beezers bred by a Mr. Robert Towers of 

 Force Forge in High Furness. Their 

 splendid condition made the fight a one- 

 sided affair. At the end of four days' fight- 

 ing the Ulverston gentleman retired from the 

 pit with a majority of sixteen in his favour, 

 and returned home the winner of a very 

 large sum. 



The scene at any of the more important 

 meetings was usually most exciting. The 

 pit erected for the purpose had every con- 

 venience for a numerous body of spectators 

 and was generally excessively crowded. The 

 betting amongst such a host of spectators, 

 almost all betting men, was astounding ; 

 thousands of pounds changed hands at the 

 conclusion of each match. Notwithstanding 

 the immense amount of betting, disputes sel- 

 dom occurred, and if a disagreement did 



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