298 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



purely native states that make such a business of it. The Rajali of Siak, the first cock-figliter of 

 his day (1825-6), once sent a deputation to me of five boats-full of officers, and about tliirty cocks, 

 with a pedigree to each bird ; they were various colours and various names, and fine birds all. It 

 was quite a grand ceremonial. 



" The birds are generally put out of hand on the ground by the competitors at say eight or 

 nine yards apart ; but each man seeks to put his bird down at advantage, and there is manoeuvring. 

 The result depends much on training. Some run under and others fly high ; it matters not how 

 they meet, but meet they do, and strike home ! They often meet together high up in the air. I 

 have seen — at difierent times, of course, and different birds — two cuts from Malay spurs, which, if 

 they could have been done at once, and in one bird, would have quite cut the fowl in two pieces ; 

 one cut going clean through the back deep into the breast, and the other through the breast deep 

 into the back — so keen are the edges of these deadly weapons, and so dreadful are the wounds. 

 Generally one cock at once falls dead or next door to it, so that the other has only to give just 

 one peck and rise, and it is over ; but sometimes the dying bird lays hold of the unwounded one, 

 and by a well-directed blow kills his assailant at once, and wins the battle. They are seldom 

 touched after once let go, because, as I said, one is hors de.combat. 



" When the Bugis come to trade in the Straits the betting is very heavy ; and sometimes 

 when a man loses all he has he becomes desperate — in Malay language, ' meng-a-inok ' (Anglice, 

 'runs a muck'), and perhaps kills many. It is quite a royal affair when Bugis chiefs and Malay 

 rajahs meet, and most intensely exciting, as they all have weapons ready for the least affront, and 

 no man can offer another a greater insult than sajTng to him ^ Etccli bcr taji' (i.e., 'Duck-spurred ') 

 — the contrast is between tlie duck and, to their minds, the noblest of birds, a Game cock ! I have 

 seen hundreds, and even thousands, of dollars lost and won on one fight of a few minutes' duration; 

 and they go on most of the daylight after they once begin, about noon." 



Besides the above particulars of Eastern cocks and cock-fighting, some little must be added 

 respecting the "sport" as formerly and still carried on at home; for cock-fighting, though now 

 popularly supposed to be suppressed, and, indeed, happily no longer permitted in public, is 

 nevertheless occasionally practised in secret to an extent, and often by a class of individuals, 

 which, if known, would make many of our readers and some (not all) of the "authorities" open 

 their eyes in surprise. We have never witnessed a fight, and never intend doing so ; but we 

 heard of one only the other day being fought out at the country seat of an earl's son, and could 

 name more than one highly-respected gentleman who is known to be addicted to the forbidden 

 "diversion." We shall, however, confine ourselves to a few brief historical particulars. 



We have already seen that cock-fighting took root in England at a very early age ; but it 

 is some consolation to reflect that from a very early age, also, there have not been wanting those 

 high in station who deemed it an unfit pursuit to be allowed to Englishmen. It was prohibited 

 by both Edward III., and Henry VIII. (though the less said about 'flie humanity of the last 

 the better) ; and since then many succeeding edicts were passed against it, including one from 

 Oliver Cromwell. On the other hand, many British monarchs (including King James) have 

 been partial to cocking,* and a century ago the pit at Westminster was allowed to claim the 

 title of " Royal;" and its rules, though they can now only be understood by cockers themselves, 

 and with the aid of other more modern regulations, which act as commentaries, still serve as 

 the legal or acknowledged rules of such fighting as still takes place in England. This celebrated 



* Amongst cock-fighters, the pursuit is always called " cocking," and those addicted to it "cockers." 



