194 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



Precisely at 4.30 — and the only praiseworthy occurrence 

 was this punctuality — some wooden gates near the bulls' 

 entrance were opened, and a horseman appeared, announced 

 by a great fanfare of trumpets, followed by eight torreadors 

 in fantastic and picturesque dress, with purple cloaks. 

 After advancing and bowing to two or three somebodies in 

 the only private box, the gallant equestrian rode round the 

 arena, facing the audience, which I should say numbered 

 some five or six hundred men, women, and children, of all 

 ages. After this, four of the torreadors vaulted into the 

 outer ring, while the others remained with the horseman 

 in the arena. The " cabalheiro " then retired, returning 

 immediately on another horse. With a renewed flourish 

 of trumpets the door was thrown open, and the furious 

 bull came out. Walking quietly, he suddenly beheld the 

 horse, and went for him, lowering his well-padded horns. 

 But the horse did not like it, and, rearing, took a step back 

 on his hind legs. The horseman was thrown, and imme- 

 diately vaulted over the boards ; then the four torreadors 

 rushed after the horse, who was careering round and round, 

 while the bull stood quietly in the midst gazing at the 

 audience. The intrepid rider once more mounted, the bull 

 repeated his charge, the horse rolled over with the man 

 under him, and the bull jumped over them both. The man 

 again vaulted into the ring, and the bull and the horse had a 

 little game by themselves, racing at full speed round and 

 round the arena. This amusement was ended by a torre- 

 ador waving his faded purple cloak before the bull. The 

 cabalheiro mounted for the third time, and rode away. 

 So closed scene i of the first act. 



Then came the playful dodge of placing the "ban- 

 deiras " — little sticks about a foot long, decorated with 

 various coloured ribbons — into the bull's hump. A torre- 



