Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
"A brown bull with white spots," he writes, "then came in and
soon rolled on the ground two picadors and their worthless
steeds: one of the animals was killed on the spot, and the other
soon dropped. Immediately the bull upset the third horse and his
rider, and was rapturously cheered: '_Viva, toro! viva, toro!
Bravo, toro!_' Again he upset two more steeds, and the picadors
fell heavily to the ground; the plaudits were deafening. Soon
he raised from the earth the third horse and his rider, who
kept his seat at first; but both fell--the picador underneath,
stunned, but able, after a short time, to mount again. Horse
after horse this fine beast attacked: one poor animal and
his rider were soon prostrate on the ground, and immediately
afterwards another. The _banderillas_ made him still more mad,
and the _chulos_ were obliged to run their best to escape
his rage. It was most exciting to see them vaulting over the
barriers, flying, as it were, out of his horns. At last the
matador struck him; and though the sword was, as usual, deep
between the left shoulder and the blade, he seemed as fierce as
ever. He was near the enclosure, and a man adroitly drew it out.
The matador was preparing to strike him again, when he lay down
as if to die, but soon rose, apparently desirous of revenge:
after one effort he sank on the arena, and the matador gave him
his _coup de grace_. The band played, and the teams dragged out
his carcase and three dead horses, besides two which he had
wounded dreadfully: the Spaniards sang with delight."
A little black bull, which in Smithfield would have been slightly
esteemed, next rushed into the circle, and quickly cleared it,
rolling over the picadors, and making the chulos fly for dear
life. After one of these "he galloped at a fearful speed. Not a
voice was heard, so deep was the anxiety; but the chulo flew over
the barricade as if the bull had pitched him, so near to his legs
were its horns. The animal seemed astonished at having lost its
victim, and then vented its rage on the red cloak the chulo had
been obliged to drop." This fierce little bull killed and badly
wounded half-a-dozen horses, goring them disgustingly when on the
ground, and galloped round the arena in triumphant defiance, until
the terrible matador, with red flag and straight blade, answered the
challenge, and slew him with a thrust.
The risks run by the picadors are terrible; although less, perhaps,
from the horns of the bull than from bad falls, and from their
horses rolling over them. Few of them, Mr Ford assures us, have a
sound rib in their body.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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