MEXICO CITY.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1925, Page 4

MEXICO CITY.

A HULL FIGHT. (By Gertrude Muck.) In Mexico City there are hulllights of some kind every Sunday in the year, hut the ''season'' is in the winter, between; November and March. I'riccs of entrance are then much higher, and hulls are always oi the best class. Many attractions were hilled for the great light of the season to which I was invited, -it first I -hudderingly refused the invitation. imagining, as -o many do, that it would be nothing but a series of horrible sights. However, 1 was assured that was not the ease, so I allowed my curiosity to see the national sport of Spain to triumph over mv reluctance.

Three of the most I'umoils matadors

were to appear that afternoon. President Alvaro Obrcgon was to be present, and the linn! attraction was that

a popular .Stage star, a lavourite of one of the matadors, was to lead the procession, wearing a Mexican lintvalued at hundreds of pesos, it was a perfect day - the sky of solt pale blueness that belongs to Mexico, the air mild and light, with nothing of the humid stickiness I had expected to find.

A few minutes before flic light was

to commence we drove up to the plaza—the “Gran Plaza tie Toros" - and it appeared as though every motor ear and taxi in Mexico must be heading for tin' same place. At

tlu: entrance attendants stood ofleriug cushions for hire; thick leather covered cushions most acceptable on the hard seats and also protection lor one’s clothes, as the audience walked anv and everywhere. I lie Plaza is built of steel, and i, the largest bull ling ill the world, seating "TO.OUT pet pie, nearly 701)11 more than the big ring in Madrid. Within the enclosure an iulirmary aval chapel are thoughtfully provided, and are very often needed. Hound the ring is a barrier oil high, with ;; t lear passage inside into w hich lho lighters jump when the bull ignores the. cape and sees only tne man. It is amazing to see the number of children among tin* onlookers, boss mostly, but here and there a. iltilo girl. The women were beautitully dressed in clothes of obviously French cut, and all had bunches of small red earnat ions, the claveli.s ol Spain, so dear to writers of roniame. The men wore gardenias in their buttonhole.-. Tlll'i PH ESI DENT. At I! o'clock President Obregen arrived, every one standing as ill" Noli.eed Am hem was played. He did not look at all the bandit I had hoped i,, see. but was a leg. dark, strong, looking man in ordinary AmcTcun ■Huh the eiily Mexican touch being bis wide-brimmed bat and empty sleeve That '.'Minty sleeve ■eenied to give the hall-mark, for it is against the nature of tilings lor a President of Mexico to keep lid limbs : s well as lii.x life for any tenglli ol time. I Vnli rioi Ilia/, t'e'ing an oulst eonling exception. When all were settled in I in-ir seat- again. Hr preeideutc ol the hull-ring gave the. .signal. the l and bursL into a spirited march, and fn pi beneath the .staffer's box rp pea red two uquaeiles, more prosiaeallv know n as mounted pulie. Dressed In black velvet, with coloured plumes in their black hats, they cantered rue on either side round the ring, galloped no tbe cent re Ingot her, swept- o|f their ho t - in a salute t" the presiilente. and dis-ppenrod within ihe archway Th" doors ol Ho' arena now opened, and in came 'Jo li'OseUlen in ‘‘charm’ costume. the .Mexican ceremonial die,-. They u re splendidly mounted and very pi it u res: pie, with Aztec de-

signs embroidered on their short coals. They cantered around the ring, then took up their positions and stood, still as stal lies. Willi a change of music from Ihi * hand, the 'stars” ol the

tiltcrnoon entered, led by till' Mexican comic opera beauty. Celia .Momaivc.n. She look, d like a princess in a fairy laic in her peaked gold "charm” hat, tli” size of a parasol, which "'as embossed with silver and studded with jewels. Her hair fell in two lour; plails across her shoulders, each plait tied with a large how. The green gauzy skirt of her "china pohlaim" costume billowed mil, sparkling with jewels, u> her white "palfrey,” with

it j rosettes on hi- ears and a magnificent P carved saddle, pranced around the I _ ring and stood up on his hind legs j pawing the air. Behind her came tli” Hi I, i aquucilos a,gam. still mounted, and then the matadors on loot, 1 licit* expensive costumes glittering with gold -.cpihroidcries. The still" little pigtail from which they got the name of “Tor- " eri is”—they ol the little queue—is II wired up the hack of the head and finished with a large bunch of black silk shaped like a mushroom, which 1 known as the "mono.” 1 Tilt: MATA DOBS. 1 ( rics of "Viva” greeted the three 0 favourites as they minced up the 0 centre, their gorgeous tapes draped round them and held in a debonair fashion on the left hip, the right arm swinging free. There is quite an amount of ceremony about the position * .of entry, the chief matador always. walking on the left, the next in im 1 porta nee on the right, and the thirr. in tilt' centre. These men receive as ’ much as ofiOU in an afternoon, hut mil of their winnings have to pay tlicit three banderillos and picadorcs. who are very inadequately paid, considering the risks they run. The banderillos. also oil toot, (am. niter the matadors, and the picadorcs. with legs heavily padded, and mounted on the poor doomed horses, followed. The procession tailed off with uttendsnits and nolle carts. The business of these carts, which were decorated with merrily tinkling hells, was to carry away the conquered hull. All was so gay ami gorgeously s]iectaculor, the audience cheering and hands playing. that one could imagine some delightful opera was being performed, the brutal side ol the spsort for a j while being cast into shadow by the brilliance of colouring and light-heart-ed music. The whole company having displayed itsdl. ..lily those to he engaged in the first tight remained in the ring. The fighters lilted their caps to the residente, who returned the salute ; the matadors handed their gorgeous capes to friends across the harrier, taking instead old capes of red and yellow cotton, failed and .stained from 1 any fights. Each man took up his position, the presidents waved a flag—ft signal to sound a call for the hullthrow down a key. decked with bright, ribbons, which was caught by an aquacile and handed to an attendant,

who unlocked the door of the hull enclosure und hastily retired. The moment had arrived. There was an intense silence, then the door opened, and out ■rushed the bull, his angry eyes red and gleaming. As he rushed through the narrow passage, an attendant leaned over the railings and stuck a small dagger, gay with floating, coloured ribbons, into Ids shoulders. The bull maddened with pain, charged al bis nearest enemy, and in a few seconds all those on loot bad vaulted over the harrier, leaving the jiicadores land hull in possession. Almost at once the matador was hack in the ring, and began Ills wonderful play with the "eapa." There were breathless moments when he knelt in front id the hull ; with fascinated eyes one watched the bull attack—the air. for with the '<quiekness and grace of a bird, the man was behind the hull, who with a fiery snort of rage, sent up a cloud of sand into the air. Sometimes the huli mad.’ directly ier the man. and not the capo : j.ind then the audience with line impartiality. cheered him just as a lew nu.incuts before 1 1 ivy bad the matador, now -airly a-Toss the harrier. \\ rvn the sights in the ring were too horrible I looked a! tee audience, and though .seme Mexican women were looking at or I: other’s Imt- at those had lit..incuts. there were not many whose gar. • was not fixed with intensity on I!. ring. The Mexican apathy bad entirely disappeared, and men, worn n an ! children were keyed up to t : • Itigl.e-; oil el) of excitement. Tin-: 111:u;). The hero ol the afternoon was l!cdolplio (iaona, and 1 soon saw why he was acclaimed champion ol the rim With In- faded "rapa‘ ! held tighily round him. lie called to the hull. "iloi. hoi": the im-tant the bull, a liet'ce Andalusian, prepared tor th- a: lac!;, the eapa was swung out to tie- right; tin- hull rush: d at U while fbiotin -loud without having moved his I■ i an inch. It was a beautiful display 0 1',;.-.race and perfect judgment. Alter the pi. adores bad prodded the- bull with their lances and the banderillos had each planted a pair of ga.ilv be-rihlmned harpoons tup) bis shoulders, the bugle sounded again, and the matador, discarding the big ‘•eapa.” advanced with the m al lot millet a. and a smnH dagger to complete the

i ram dv. With much approbation from the a: diem e. (buna, as hclitu-d a champion waved oil' all his helpers and advanced towards the hull, the red the; alimlwd to a spiked stick held in his left han'd. When within three yards of the hull !w circled round him, getting a little .loser al every step, till finally tie- red tl.mwas brushing the hull's head. Tln-ii with feel close together, and I endti'g ■forward from, the waist, he held the Hag across his victims face. ’I he hull lowered his head and charged the flag, following ii as (laona, with loot still unmoved, swung round in a ball circle. 1 1> ( a stiddi ulv lifted ike Hag high in the air while the l-ciist wen! savagely on. Seven t bum la did t hat ; each time the liell's load v.a- too low b-r the final si at., but at last, will. I hose vicious horns - lew inches from his chest, ha- slruck. and villi unerring swilluesplanled hi- small dagger well I el ween the horns in the vital s-pol. Almost at once |he Ia.II fell dead. Tile watching i mini : ,i-i a- one man. the cheering was deafenin and Ihe air was tilled with thine hats, itow.-r.. and cigars