A BULL AND LION FIGHT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 205, 8 October 1878, Page 4

A BULL AND LION FIGHT.

. .Our Montreal contemporary, the Weekly Gazette for May 10, from their oorretfpop'derit at Sern Antonio, Texas, gives an account of a ball fight with a lion and lionees. The following are the principal' features of the fight, as recorded by oar contemporary. Query, have* i toy in that country any Society for the^Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ?.-.» To aay that we have forgotten our eemi.Spßnisn origin in this border State would be to deny that bullfighting can collect a crowd from every settlement and village within a hundred mUed of San Antonio. Such an aßßenibTa?e has collected here for several Sundays b^cb. The bull-Sght-ing has beeri ecjiiyed hugely, and so we must plead guiity to being only half American yef. To vary the sport, however, in order to gratify the progressive Bp'irit of the rising generation who regard an ordinary bull-fight as a tame affair* the combats have been arranged to take place between lions and balls, and much speculation has ! been indulged in as to the respective fighting qualities of Leo Africanus and Bqs % 4mericanu3. Last Sunday the first fight took place, in which Alrica was ■ badly whipped. The bull was victorious after « a brief but a ' sharp encounter and the lioness retired a sadder, wiser, and sore- i aided animal, to reflect in her cage od the departed glory of all things leoline. But the backers of the lions were not disheartened, and prepared to-day to retrieve .tbeir laurels and dollars By pitting a fufr-»rbtfn male lion, rather old, but yet active, agaiost a bull of approved valour. "At oce o'clock the iioo, 'Old George,' was put into the arena. He wae a large African lion Old George has only one eye, the other having been burnt in order to get tbe remains of his keeper out of his cage in Memphis a few years ago, he having torn him all to pieces. At a quarter to four o'clock Mexican vaqueros were seen bringing the bull across the praries. The lion was shut up in one corner of the cag<i with a circu3 canvas, while the bull was led by four men with ropes. "He took a sudden fit of batting, jerking away from his keepers, and made a sudden rueh upou. one of them — a large, heavy man— and threw him to the ground in an instant, piercing the calf of his leg with bis horn. The position of the unfortunate man was horrible, the infuriated bull standing over him shaking his head, threatening each moment to impale the prostrate victim. A cry o< horror escaped from the multitude. Fortunately ilia attention of tbe bull waa diverted, and the injured man was conveyed out of the arena. A hugh gash was cut in hia leg, fracturing tbe tibia, and cutting through two large muscles and an artery. But for the presence of a doctor, the wounded man would have bled to death. M Aa soon as the bull waa fairly in the cage the curtain that concealed tbe lion waa dropped. Aa soon as they saw each olber the lion crouched down, growling and laehine his tail. Bsfore aa could spring, tha bull, although lame from his previous encounter with the lioness, without a moment's hesitn- ' tion bounded towards tbe lion, catcbio* him under the belly. He threw the lion sprawling, feet upward against the cage, following it up by going for him again and pinning him to the ground. It was in vain the lion made show of resistance; tbe bull pinned him to the cage, holding him against tbe bars as in a vice. "On the bull withdrawing his horns, one of which had made a deep wound in the Qaah, the lioa escaped. For fully five minutes the combatants glared at each other — ihe lion with uplifted paw and most ferocious mien, the bull with head lowered, aa if to make an on3et on tho slightest provocHtion. The po?e was raagnifinanf. With a muffled roar the bull charged, bis hems holding the lion firm'y to the ground, the bull apparently Buffering no injury. " The final assault of the bull was terrific He gored tbe lion, and then, with a toss, 'Bent bin whirling through the air. When be struck the ground he Joy on bis back, with bis mouth open, apparently de&d. The lion revived, how ver, but ee^qied unwilling to ejjuin tackle the monarch of ibe prairies. •' The nofln-igers, eeeiog how unequal ihe combat whs, determined to add a new feature to v. Tbe bull was tied up, ami whilo doing which he made furious effjrts to get through the cage, the strength of which he lesJel So ihn utaiO3t. The wagon waa baiksd up to the door of the arena, and iba lioness which had baen vanquished last Saturday was turnal in. Had the lion aud lioness attacked the bull fogtuber there is uo doubt they would hnve come out victorious; but iho lioness, remembering her previous encounter, fought aby, flod beyocd thowing her teeth ani Striking attitudes did not do tnuc\ while the lion was 100 much fxhiiustßii by Jbia exertions to do much damage beyond teariug the hide from the bull's face and legs. " It was a strnnge Bight— probably never before wilnoesed in America — to see the infuriated bull rushing arouud the arena, with tail up aud head down, chasing the two huge lions, tossing one after another over bis head or trampling them under foot. "At times the bull seemed to bo etanding on bis head oa the bodiea of the prostrate animals, that filled the bir With tbeir rotmuge, It wa3 evident

that th« lions stood no chance, the lion being hors de combat, with several deep wounds, while the lioness was too flset to allow the bull to pin her to tbe cage. " Just before the boll was lassoed there was a very pretty ec^np. The two Hods were very close together, the crippled lion huddled up close to the terrified lioness. The bull advanced on them in a trot, but just as he was upon them be seemed to realise their helpless condition, stopped shorf, and, after eyeing them foe a few minutes, slowly walked off ia a different direction. Victory web declared for the bull, and he was laeaoed and secured to tbe cage. " The day's performance ended by turning another boll into tbe oa»e with the two Hoes to finish them off or give them a cfmuco to retrieve their fortunes, buf, on his making assault the wounded lion growled furiously, and after that oil attempts to induce the bull to go near him. were perfectly futile, while the lions themselves refused to aaaurae the aggressivp. The audience numbered about 2000, and nothing ocenrred to mar 'the occsaion, except the injuries to & man already mentioned, Jnck Farley, whose leg is so mangled that amputation will have to be resorted to."