THE AMUSEMENTS OF MADRID

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE AMUSEMENTS OF MADRID

ELEPHANT V. BULLS.

.All Madrid was in a state of excitement the whole of the second week in December in anticipation of a wonderful tight between a couple of savage thoroughbred Spanish bulls and a huge tusker elephant, which was to have taken place.

AH the seats in the great bull ring had beo'ii sold at fancy prices, innumerable hols had been made, and nothing was talked of but the forthcoming struggle.

But the happiness of the Madrilenos did not last long. During the night preceding the day of the encounter the poor elephant died, and the newspapers came out with its obituary. They all said it was such a beautiful elephant.

The- following are the words of the 'Imparclal' upon the sad event: —

'The- lovers of sport have seen their hopes dashed to the ground. The elephant—a beautiful specimen of his race — who was to have contended with the two bulls on Sunday is no more. He arrived in Madrid in perfect health, but, alas! the life of the elephant is no less uncertain than that of man.

'A simple glass of water —or, rather, five or six buckets of that liquid—gave him a cold which achieved in a few hours what, perhaps, the noble bravery of the two bulls would not have succeeded in doing. The elephant's death will necessarily be sincerely mourned."