286 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



a fine band in a Turkish uniform, playing a quick step. They 

 marched and countermarched, and performed several military 

 evolutions, which ended in a sham fight with a second party, 

 that attacked them from several points at the same time. The 

 orders were given by blast of trumpet and tap of drum. This 

 part of the exhibition was highly interesting, and very credit- 

 able to the troops. 



Precisely at three^ the president and staff entered his box, 

 and were received by the troops with presented arms. The 

 Turkish band took its place in front of the president's box, 

 and the troops separated, and springing over the barrier, min- 

 gled with the crowd on the benches. 



The rejoneadores and capeadores on horseback, preceded by 

 the mayors of the plaza, and followed by the matad6res and 

 capeadores on foot, marched slowly round the whole circle, 

 bending low before the boxes of the president and prefect, and 

 saluting the spectators generally as they passed along. This 

 ceremony ended, the matadores and capeadores on foot distri- 

 buted themselves in various parts of the arena; the mayors 

 took a position of safety, and the rejoneadores and capead6res 

 on horseback, holding their spears by the end in the right 

 hand, the points down, trotted gallantly up to the prefect's 

 box and halted. In the mean time, a caricature figure of a 

 belle, constructed of paper and reeds, was placed not far from 

 the centre of the ring. The din and buz of the multitude were 

 for a moment hushed. A trumpet sounded a charge, and a 

 rocket whizzed high and exploded in the air. Expectation 

 was mute. The den flew open, and a noble bull, having a 

 cloth ornamented with tinsel and ribbons stitched to his back, 

 sprang forth. He stood for a moment gazing fiercely right 

 and left, lashing his tail in the air, and pawing the earth; he 

 wavered for an instant, then lowering his head, dashed at a 

 rejonead6r, who, with admirable skill, flirted a short red man- 

 tle in his eyes, and saved himself and horse from the bull's 

 horns. Foiled in this attack, the enraged animal opened his 

 eyes for a second, (bulls always close them to attack), and 

 rushed at a capead&r, who received him on the point of his 

 spear ; thrusting him three times in the neck, he turned the 



