IN SUM ATE A, 



other by the Qulangs, who ruffled for them their neck fea- 

 thers, tugged their combs, patted them on the breast and sides, 

 aud shook them with a tremulous sort of iustigating motion, 

 performed with a kuaek and neatness whieh indicated the pro- 

 fessional hand. This manceuvre whose execution is the envy 

 of onlookers, is imitated hy the children in the miniature 

 cockerel fights that they get up before they are oM enough to 

 speak- When the fowls had been thus irritated they war© 

 allowed, while still in the hand, to have one dig at each other 

 just to put them on their mettle, and with their terrible 

 armatures bared, they were set facing each other, a few feet 

 apart ; and then came the charge* I shall never forget— for I 

 was utterly unprepared for it from the stolid Malay — the yell 

 and deafening shout of savage delight and excitement that 

 arose from the up to that moment mute and eager but, to all 

 appearance, unexelted crowd as the combatauts rushed at each 

 other, auJ which was kept up all the time the conflict lasted ; 

 nor how the gulangs, following on hands and knees, each close 

 behind his fowl, watched each movement in silence with a 

 glaring and excited eye— the rules of the ring prohibiting them 

 from touching or reinstigating the cock during the continu- 

 ance of a round— like nothing I can think of so much as the 

 intense motions of a pointer close behind a warm scent, and 

 at every onset they scanned their bird from side to side to see 

 if it had sust^iined any injury. In the first combat that I 

 witnessed both cocks were badly wounded in the first round ; 

 one even fainted away. The seconds and supporter carried 

 each their bird aside to apply restoratives, if possibly they 

 might be able to continue the contest to a final issue. They 

 bathed ills head with cold water and administered some with a 

 feather down its throat ; a cloth was held over it to keep off the 

 sun, and smoking pieces of wood held under its nostrils and 

 over its comb. For a time it seemed as if the worst wounded 

 would have to be declared vanquished, as it was unable to 

 enter the lists, but his spirit came again on instigating him 

 with a strange cock for a few miuutes. After the same 

 preliminary patting and facing and the solitary dig, they 

 were again allowed to rush at each other; but after a few 

 skirmishes the bailly wounded bird turned tail aud was 

 declared the loser. In the second of the only twn fights I ever 



