410 BULL FIGHT. 



meter, they ever had the good fortune to be friends 

 with. 



In addition to the amusement of hunting, we had 

 a bull-fight one evening, on the occasion of killing 

 a large red animal of the kind that had been pur- 

 chased for the Hy Soumaulee. He was, as his rearers 

 themselves acknowledged, a regular "shaitan," one of 

 the wildest and most unmanageable beasts that ever 

 objected to be made into beefsteaks for the use of 

 "the lords of the creation." The society, however, 

 he was amongst was well calculated to vindicate 

 our supremacy in the animal kingdom ; and it now 

 became a subject of great public interest to reduce 

 to obedience and cold meat, our angry, untamed 

 defier ; who, undecided on which point to make an 

 attack, stood gazing, with restless eyes, and dilated 

 nostrils, upon the noisy circle that was gradually 

 contracting around him. I offered to shoot the 

 animal, as there appeared some little shyness on 

 the part of the boldest braves of our party to com- 

 mence the fight, but the religious prejudices of the 

 Tajourah people prevented the quick decision of a 

 bullet ; for the meat would of course have been 

 unholy, if the bull dropped dead without having 

 its throat duly cut, and the deed sanctified with the 

 usual ul'allah. 



The boys and younger men now began to amuse 

 themselves by little ventures, as if going to rush 

 upon the beast, but immediately running back to 



