MEXICO. 



171 



Whenever it happens that a bull is so averse to afford 

 sport that he can neither be coaxed nor irritated to 

 fight, but shuns all encounters, a cry of caula ! caula ! 

 (tail ! tail !) is raised by the populace. 



On a note of approval issuing from the alcalde's 

 trumpet, two or more horsemen, better mounted than the 

 ordinary picadores, and distinguished from them by being 

 without weapons, are seen to rush forward, at full speed, 

 in pursuit of the recreant bull, who very naturally 

 runs for his life with fresh vigour, round and round the 

 arena. 



The most adroit of his pursuers, on coming up to his 

 left flank, catches hold of the tail with the right hand, 

 and passing it under his own right leg, gives it a turn 

 round the raised pummel of the saddle, at the same time 

 that he suddenly wheels his horse round at right angles 

 by the pressure of the powerful bit, a manoeuvre w T hich 

 rarely fails to throw the bull on his back. This may ap- 

 pear very surprising; but a moment's reflection will 

 show you, if you put yourself in the bull's place, that the 

 feat can hardly fail of being successful, provided you run 

 very fast, and your pursuer contrives to get a very firm 

 hold of your tail. 



It was now verging towards the middle of April, and 

 the advance of the season combined with other consid- 

 erations to make us fix our departure from Vera Cruz 

 by the New- York packet of the first of May. 



To effect this in the most prudential manner, now that 

 the yellow fever was rife on the coast, was incumbent 

 upon men who, after all done and said, valued their 

 lives, and were looking towards home after an absence 

 of upward of two years. 



For many days it was impossible to see our way 

 clearly, on account of the conflicting opinions in the cap- 

 ital, as to the precise time of sailing. There was a vari- 

 ation of eight or ten days in these rumours ; at the same 

 time that we were counselled on all hands not to descend 



