170 



MEXICO. 



into groups. The picadores place themselves about the 

 mouth of the passage which leads to the den ; the ban- 

 darillos and matadores recline against the breastwork 

 which separates the arena from the circular passage at 

 the foot of the lower seats ; while the train of six mules, 

 gayly caparisoned, three abreast, vanish through one 

 of the gateways ; and are followed by the spotless 

 butcher and the wheelbarrow man — and all await the 

 given signal. 



It sounds ! and out comes the bull ! Perhaps he gives 

 a push, en passant, at one of the picadores, but most prob- 

 ably not. If he does so, neither horse nor man are the 

 worse for it. for the former is fully protected from the 

 horns of the animal by the strong leather caparison, 

 which are, moreover, considerately tipped to prevent 

 bloodshed : and the latter takes good care to run no risk. 

 The generality of the bulls, of which eight are despatched 

 on each representation, did their best to avoid the 

 contest; and in several instances proved their nimble- 

 ness by jumping the breastwork. When teased beyond 

 endurance, they would fight feebly, and perhaps over- 

 throw a horse and rider, but it was evidently mere 

 play to their opponents. When the picadores could ex- 

 tract no more courage from the exhausted animal, the 

 footmen plied their childish and inglorious game of petty 

 annoyance and torture, with barbed darts and fireworks, 

 till, thoroughly spent and jaded, the poor brute was 

 given over to the matador, whose clumsy but pompous 

 attempt at giving a death wound, had almost in every 

 instance to be seconded by the butcher. The clever 

 professional coup de grace of the latter was really admin- 

 istered in mercy. The mules then galloped in — were 

 attached to the dead animal, and scoured as quickly out, 

 again followed, as before, by the nimble wheelbarrow 

 man whose spadeful of sand had meantime obliterated 

 all signs of the tragedy. In short, there is nothing in a 

 Mexican bullfight to tempt a second visit, and nothing 

 distinguishing it from those in Spain, if I except one 

 custom, which I should judge to be peculiar to this coun- 

 try, though 1 may be mistaken. 



