Wrestling on the Steppes of the Irtish.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 303, 29 September 1888, Page 5

Wrestling on the Steppes of the Irtish.

The crowd was divided into two hostile camps, consisting respectively of Kirghis and Tartars. Ours was the Kirghis side, and opposite us were the Tartar.?. There were four masters of ceremonies, who were dressed in long green ' khalats ' and carried rattan wands. The two Tartar officials would select a champion in their corner, throw a sash over his head, pull him out into the arena, and then challenge the Kirghis officials to match him. The latter would soon find tx man about equal to the Tartar champion in size and weight, and then the two combatants would prepare for the struggle. The first bout after we arrived was betweeen a good-looking, smoothfaced young Kirghis, who wore a blul skull-cap and a red sash, and an athletic, heavily- built, Tartar, in a yellow skullcap and a green sash. They eyed each other warily for a moment, and then clinched fiercely, each grasping with one hand his adversary's sash, while he endeavoured with the other to get an advantageous hold of wrist, arm, or shoulder. Their heads were pressed closely together, their bodies were bent almost into right angles at their waists, and their feet' were kept well back to avoid trips. Presently both secured sash and shoulder holds, and in a bent position backed each other around the arena, the Kirghis watching for an opportunity to trip, and the Tartar striving to close in. The vein? stood out like whipcords on their foreheads and necks, and their swarthy faces dripped with perspiration as they struggled and manoeuvred in the scorching sunshine ; but neither of them seemed to be able to find an opening in the other's g-aard, or to get any decided advantage. At last, however, the Tartar backed away suddenly, pulling the Kirghis violently cowards him ; and as the latter stepped forward to recover his balance he was dexterously tripped by a powerful side-blow of the Tartar's leg and foot. The trip did not throw him to the ground ; but it threw him off his guard ; and before he could recover himself the Tartar broke the sash and shoulder-hold, rushed in fiercely, caught him around the body, and with a hip lock and a tremendous heave; threw him over his head. The unfortunate Kirghis fell with such violence that the blood streamed from his nose and mouth, and he seemed partly stunned ; but he was able to get up without assistance and walked in a dazed way to his corner, amidst a roar of shouts and triumphant cries from the Tartar side. As the excitement increased new champions offered themselves, and in a moment two more contestants were locked in a desperate struggle, amid a babel of exclamations, suggestions, taunts, and yells of enouragement or defiance from their respective supporters. The wrestling was invariably good-humoured, and the vanquished retired without any manifestations of ill-feeling, and often with laughter at their own discomfiture. The Kirghis were generally overmatched. The Tartars, although perhaps no stronger, were quicker and more dexterous than their nomadic adversaries, aud won on an average two falls out of every three. — c The Century.'