BULL-FIGHTS. 



109 



CHAPTER VI. 



JBuU-fights. — Horse-race. — Bull-fighters. — Their villanous Appear- 

 ance. — Death of a Bull. — A Ball of Etiquette. — Society in Yu- 

 catan. — Costumes at the Ball. — More Bull-fights. — A Mestiza. 

 ■ — Scenes in the Bull-ring. — A Storm. — Dispersion of the Spec- 

 tators. — A Discovery. — A new Reformation in Yucatan. — Celi- 

 bacy of Priests. — A few Words about the Padres. — Arrival of Mr. 

 Catherwood and Dr. Cabot. — Rain. — Daguerreotyping. — "The 

 Ancient Chronology of Yucatan." — Don Pio Perez. — Calendar 

 of the Ancient Indians. — Substantially the same with that of the 

 Mexicans. — This Fact tends to show the common Origin of the 

 aboriginal Inhabitants of Yucatan and Mexico. 



In the afternoon commenced the first bull-fight. 

 The bull-fights of Ticul had a great reputation 

 throughout the country. At the last, a toreador was 

 killed, which gave a promise of something exciting. 

 The young men of the village still appeared in 

 character as vaqueros, and before the fight they had 

 a horse-race, which consisted in riding across the 

 ring, one at a time, in at one door and out at the 

 other, and then racing in the same way through the 

 other two doors. It was a fine opportunity for ex- 

 hibiting horses and horsemanship, and was a sort of 

 pony scamper. 



After these came the toreadores, or bull-fighters, 

 who, to do them justice, were by far the worst-look- 



10 



