NOTICES OP PERU. 



289 



into his body, from which it required the force of three men 

 to extract it ! The animal fell dead. The spectators were de- 

 lighted, and even renewed their plaudits when the mulatto 

 held out his cap for the reward. 



A fourth bull was received by " matad6res de punta" — ma- 

 tad&res armed with short, broad-bladed dirks, resembling in 

 form a bricklayer's trowel. They played him for a long time; 

 now daring his attack, now avoiding it. Showers of darts 

 were thrown, and his hide bristled with them, like that of a 

 porcupine. The paper image was attacked, and wrought him 

 to the highest pitch of fury ; he ploughed the ground with his 

 horns, and bellowed in an agony of rage. He pursued a mata- 

 d&r, and was so near tossing him, that he ripped up the back 

 of his gaudy jacket. He then wheeled upon a rejonead6r, and 

 plunged his horn into the horse's abdomen, and made an effort 

 to toss ; but by some means the poor animal was extricated. 

 The rider struck his sides with his spur, and the entrails gushed 

 from the wound ! A second blow gave an awfully hollow sound, 

 that might have been heard, at that moment, over the plaza, 

 for it was still as the grave. His bowels poured out upon the 

 ground, and were trampled by his own hoofs, as he sprang 

 forward, and cleared the infuriate bull, whose attention the 

 matad6res had attracted to themselves ! The horse was led out 

 of the arena, and I had the satisfaction (poor indeed !) to learn 

 that his pains were ended in a half hour by death ! The bull 

 rushed with furious impetuosity upon the matad&res, yet he 

 did not escape unscathed. A matador, with well turned limbs, 

 threw aside his hat and cloak, and advanced deliberately to re- 

 ceive his attack. The broad blade of the punta" glittered in 

 the sun for the instant, while the swift arm, with certain aim, 

 struck it to the spinal marrow, just behind the ears. Lightning 

 could not have been more suddenly fatal ; the bull dropped 

 dead! "Viva Espinosa" — the name of this famed matad&r, 

 was shouted from all sides. Neither the danger he had encoun- 

 tered, the success of his feat, nor the deafening plaudits of the 

 multitude, produced the slightest change in the calm expression 

 of his countenance—it remained the same under every circum- 

 stance. He gathered his cloak upon his arm, and with cap in 

 37 



