WHALING VOYAGE. 
341 
attached with remarkable partiality. They are not satis- 
fied with seeing the stupidly courageous animals which 
they provoke to combat tear each other with the wea- 
pons with which nature has presented them for self- 
defence, but they actually fasten to their spurs, sharpened 
blades of penknives, curved with the points upwards, 
the cutting edge also being in that direction. Armed 
with these destructive instruments, of course the combats 
of the unfortunate birds are not of long duration, both 
being frequently killed at the first onset, or, at most, 
rarely making more than three or four flies before one or 
the other is destroyed. This exhibition takes place too 
on every Sunday, when, at a particular time, the arena 
which is situated nearly in the centre of the town, is 
filled and surrounded by the inhabitants, who enter into 
the sport with great animation, betting to a considerable 
amount among themselves upon the relative merits of 
the large and powerful Malay fowls which may be pitted 
against each other. The table upon which the bets are 
deposited is situated within the arena, under the care 
and control of a person who is employed for that pur- 
pose, and this table is frequently covered with Spanish 
money. Before the combat commences, every person 
who can muster a rial manages to procure a rival, and 
the birds being placed, the issue of the combat, as 
I have stated, is speedily told : an immediate rush of 
the fortunate gamesters then takes place towards the 
table, to accept their ill-gotten gains from the hands of 
the person qualified to distribute the cash, who appor- 
tions the proper sums to those who have a right to re- 
