LIFE AMONG BANDITS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 March 1925, Page 10

LIFE AMONG BANDITS.

A NEW ZEALANDER IN MEXICO

SCENES AROUND A BULL RING. Mr. R. J. Beck ley, an ex-student of Canterbury College, who is now employed in engineering work on the railways of Mexico, writes as follows: Mexico is certainly a line place. Where 1 am camping the climate is not ally hotter than that of Sydney. The bandits visited us last week and asked for a speeirie thing from each of the men in the camp. There are always bandits in Mexico, and our camp is guarded by soldiers, but none of our fellows are foolish enough to sho,w light. i’ll 3 President of the Rlepublic, General Don Alvaro Obregon, was given a reception when he passed Tepie, and the engineers of the camp had an invitation to attend. It was a brilliant affair, and the band, which is worldfamous, p.ayed, the performers all being dressed in old Mexican costume in”honour of the President. The brilliant colouring of the scene will not easily be forgotten; The rainy season is not very, bad, ami we do not really get wet except about once during the week. One hardly knows the place during the rains, tor the weeds grow four or live feet high, whereas during the dry season t.h'rre is only short grass, and that is more or less burnt up. In the telegraph office the ceiling has paintings on it like a church, and the post office is the most wonderful one L ever saw, but they seem to have no system. I went to send a parcel to one of the camps, and got in the queue. The fellow opened it; then I had to march round the building to Imy stamps and then get in the queue again. Ihe bull fight arena is a very wonderful structure, and seats about 40,000 people. At a performance recently there were two bands present, and also President Obregon. Kirst the fighters paraded round the arena in wonderful costumes —then in rushed the bull. In the arena were two men on horseback (called picadores) who had lances (with points hbout two inches long), and also a man on foot with red robes (called a toreador). The bull rushed one of the men on horseback, and he held out his lance and prodded the bull in the shoulder. Twice the bull lifted horse and rider on its horns, and I thought once that the rider was killed. Two horses were killed in view of the audience, and I think more will have to lie destroyed—that seems the most cruel part of the sport. The men on foot wave their red robes and the bulls charge. This part is really clever, and only once did it look as if a man might get hurt. Two men then came along with gaily decked spears, and each put three/ on the bull's shoulders as he charged, until there were six—three on each side. By this time the bull was somewhat tired, and, of course, maddened by pain. Then came the final act. The matador, who must kill the bull, had a red blanket and a sword, and he made the bull charge the blanket for five minutes or more before he tried to kill by thrusting the swbrd in up to the hilt. At first he only got the sword in halfway. and it was some minutes before he made the bull charge and got in a kill. When the bul was unable to rise men came along with daggers and put them into the brain of the beast. When a. matador makes a good kill, or can put his hand on a bull’s nose after a charge, people go almost, crazy with excitement, and lots of good hats are thrown at him. If he does not. do so well the people hiss and. throw all sorts of things at him. 1 paid a visit to some famous pyramids and ruins of the Aztecs the other day. Hi ere are two pyramids in this particular place, the larger being threequarters the height of those in Egypt, but larger at the base. I believe the temple and the pyramids have been restored by the Mexican Government, hut as vet only about half of the ruins have been uncovered. It is strange how so wonderful a sight has remained covered for as long, and how so little is known of them. I paid another visit to canals made by the Aztecs. The place is like another Venice, the land being covered with flowers, which the people sell in the city. Chapultepec is where President lives. This- has a really wonderful and spacious park, the ancient site of an Aztec palace. Hie “Convent of the Lions” is in ruins, but a very pretty forest surrounds it, called the “Lions' Desert,” because people at one time were afraid to go there owing to the number of lions.