The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower].

  • Boutflower, Charles, 1782-1844.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    164/192 (page 160)
    i6o [1812] of this Nation, but which to a mind tinctured with the smallest [Oct.] degree of humanity cannot be witnessed without horror. On these occasions ten or twelve Bulls & nearly as many horses are sacrificed amid every species of cruelty, & the applauding shouts of an immense Multitude. So concordant is this Spectacle with the ideas of the Spaniards of both Sexes, that many a poor Family, who know not where to get money to purchase a bit of bread to eat, will sell the Clothes they wear, or the Bed they lie on, in order to procure wherewithal to pay for their admittance. The shouts of applause are in an exact ratio with the degrees of cruelty that are practised, and if the unfortunate Bulls are killed without half a dozen Horses & at least one of the Fighters being also Victims the disappoint- ment is extreme. The mode of fighting is as follows : The Animals having for several days previous been goaded by every species of torture into madness are on the day appointed let loose one by one into the Court ; two Men on Horseback and ten or twelve on Foot then commence the attack ; the former are armed with Spears, and the latter carry a large Cloth in one hand and a dart in the other. On being attacked by the Bull, they throw the cloth over his Eyes, & plunge the dart into his Body. When charged furiously by the Animal, with amazing agility they leap the fence that separates the Court from the Spectators. When the Horse is charged by the Bull, his attack is generally parried by the adroitness of the Rider, who wards it off by plunging the Spear into the Animal. It frequently happens however that the Horse receives the whole vengeance of the Bull, and tho’ completely gored even to the protrusion of his Bowels, the Rider is compelled to remain on his Back till he drops. At other times the Horse & his Rider are both knocked over by the strength of the Bull, when, to prevent the Man being killed by the enraged Animal, he is assailed by all the Combatants on foot, on whom he immediately turns, and the Rider again springs into his Seat. At length the poor Animal opposed to such a host of Enemies becomes dispirited, & refuses to