Animal Fights in Cashmere.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 4

Animal Fights in Cashmere.

A coRREsroxnENT of tho " Homeward Mail," describing the animal fights -which formod part of the festivities in connection with the installation of the Maharajah of Cashmere, says :—Two huge water buffuloob, with ropoß on their feet and a dozen men at each rope, were now introduced to oach other, tho crowd closing round them to within a few foot. Neither animal required any urging, but put liia head down nt once and butted. Tho shock of tho opposing skulls rang like the sound of a hatchet on wood across tho arena. Then both brutes laid head to head, and pushed and grunted and pawed and sweatod for five ;ninute3, the crowd yelling madly meanwhile. Tho lighter weight was forced back into tho crowd, recovered himself, butted again, turned eidewuye, and was again forced back. Aftor a few minutes more, when each animal wa3 settling down to liia work with wholo-hoartod earnestness, tho order was givon to separate them ; and very reluctantly tho gigantic mussucks wore hauled in opposito directions, Me.xt came thefighting rams, spotted and shaven boasts, with Roman nosos and rowdy visages, straining away from their owners and all apparently " spoiling for a fight." Twoorthroo couplos wore let go together, ran back to gathor way, came on and mot; ran back, charged again, and repeated the porformanco till the Bound of their foolish colliding hoads was almost continuous. Aftor tho first few minutos, whon you begin to realise that neither animal is likely to fall down dead, ram fighting is monotonous. Somotimos a ram runs back to his chargo valiantly enough, and midway in the oriKot loses heart, turns tail to his antagonist, und flees to hie master. The adversary, being a boast, of honour, iminodiutoly pulls up and trots back to his maator. Ono light limbed dooraba with rod wpots scorns to bo tho clnmpion of ilnmulU. nisphnrgogenornlly npsetshisantagenifit at onoo, and fow of the rams caro to stand a second. As soon as all the rams havo boon dispoaod of cortain vicious shrioks and squeals gavo ovidonco that tho horeos wore being got ready, and tho polico set about widening the ring. Presently a bay Galloway and a black pony danced out, dragging thoir attendants after them at tho ond of a long ropo. Tho instant they wero lot go they ran opon-mouthed at oach other, turned tail to tail, and kicked savagoly for live minutos, the black Buffering most. Then aftor tho mannor of horsos all tho world over, thoy [turned round and closed, oach striking with liia forohoad and striving to fix his tooth in tho other's crest. Thoy squoalcd shrilly as they boxed and finally roso on ond—a magnilicont sight, locked in oach other's arms. Tho bay, losing his hold on tho black's poll, made a snatch at the black's noar foreleg, which was at onco withdrawn. Both horsos then droppod to the ground togothor, and kicked and bit at clo.-o quartors till the bay fled with tho black aftor him through tho crowd. Tno saw ut tho end of the drag-ropes wero knocked ovor, scrambled up and caught at tho ropes again, whilo tho two maddonod brutoa plunged and strugglod among tho pooplo. About half a dozen nooplo woro knocked ovor and shaken, but no ono was hurt; aud, aftor wild clamour and much running hithor and thither, both bay and black wero caught, blindfolded, and led away to ruipponr no moro.