SPORTS AT BARODA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4336, 6 October 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPORTS AT BARODA.

The Baroda correspondent of the Pioneer gives an account of the sports held in connection with the inauguration of the new Guikwar. He says:—"They consisted of wrestling matches, rhinoceros fight, ram fights, and buffalo fights. Amongst the people present in the balcony I noticed j the new Guikwar seated to the left of Sir Richard Meade, who was -rendered conspicuous by his black silk hat. The wrestling matches opened the sports, which were commenced soon after the principal spectators had taken their seats. The wrestling opened with a couple of herculean Maharattas. The muscles of these men were developed to an enormous extent; they were certainly massive men. Each arm. was a weight that ao ordinary mortal could bear for ten minutes, but still those two wrestled and closed with each other, one on the ground now and a moment after the other; they continued thus till one of them was floored on hia back, which was the eigaof his defeat. A number of other competitors at this time also jc-Kcd, and in the enclosure were no less than six pairs, all as earnest as it is possible for any men to be. It would be impossible to describe the feats of each single couple. I therefore picked upon a Hindoo and a Mussulman, who appeared to me to be the best matched pair in the whole ground ; and I was not wrong. The usual flourishes to find out each other's strength were gone through, and then followed the " tug of war." The excitement between them soon passed to the balcony, and all in it watched them eagerly. Now one succeeded in gripping the waistband of the other and lost it, and was almost floored, but a cross movement of the leg eared him; the other was soon in a similar position to that in which his opponent was, and met with a like fate, till after repeated ups and downs, whilst the umpire and lookers-on were siding now with one and now with another, both fell to tho ground simultaneously. The victory appeared to be the Hindoo's but in another moment an equality was gained. Excitement was thus maintained at its highest pitch, till the umpire, observing the action of the uhestn and stomachs of the gladiators deemed it time to separate them, and the match was declared a drawn affair. The rhinoceros fight followed the wrestlers. The two monsters entered through opposite doors, and were goaded on by their keepers to face each other. This they did, and both cautiously advanced, but when within a couple of inches their behaviour must have astonished (their respective toackers, for instead of any hostile action, the huge brutes appeared to kiss each other, and their mute glances seemed to inquire the cause of their being disturbed from their confortable stables. The opportunity, however, was not to be lost, and while in such friendly intercourse their cruel tormentors speared both the beasts simultaneously, and each one, I suppose, imagining the other to be the cause of the pain suffered, the two animals tested their noma. They rubbed these together, and then tried their strength. With their mouths sunk into the earth,' they pressed against each other with their powerful necks for several minutes with indifferent results, till at last the horns slipped, and one of the animals fell on his knees, with the tusks of the other stuck under his large jaw. With shrieks and groans he tried his best to extricate himself, but for every movement of his the other was prepared. All this time it must not be forgotten that the brutes were being goaded to fury to annihilate the friendly feeling which at their first meeting they appeared to manifest, and the keepers succeeded in infuriat- ■ lag the monsters to such a state as alarmed even themselves. They then had recourse to cold water to cool the ardour of the animals. They were separated at last, but not before blood was drawn, so it can well be understoodhow cruel the trial must have been, as the rhinoceros is covered with a skin like iron, and to pierce through it strength of the mightiest description is necessary. One of the brutes fairly turned tail and ran. Their legs were then chained, and they were taken out through opposite gates. Rams were then brought in to add to the pleasure of the evening. Five pair appeared simultaneously and ten heads were butted together. These were succeeded by five others, and so on, the owners of the animals, with frantic gesticulations and cheering sounds, urging them on to do their best, till matters were becoming rather serious, as a fight between the men was imminent, when the rams were removed to give place to the most harrowing sport of the evening, the buffalo fight. A pair of well-fed, rounded animals were brought in, the horns of both of them curled. At first, unlike others of their training; they displayed a. reluctance to engage, with each otheri' and one of them was decidedly shewing the white, feather. .This uncertainty, however, was mot allowed to last, as their ' keepers,-- with • great preseverSnce, cheered, abused, and goaded them to action,

The fight at last* commenced with great zeal on both sides, and a number o£ butts were exchanged. The rapidity with which the brutes moved their heads in their efforts to entangle_ their horns was astonishing, and the rattling noise made by their exchange of butts was loud and rapid. The pluckier of the two, in his frantic efforts to overthrow hia antagonist, got his fore leg across his horn, and was immediately thrown on his side, the other, meanwhile, fixing his horn into the side of the fallen brute, ripped the skin of his stomach, and gored him over and over again. The sight was poeitively repul- £?' V e efforte o£ * he k< *pers to separate the pair were futile. Had it not f°iL the p * uck 1 Presence of mind of tttpa'f Present, who, tying a strong Z- £ 5* e leg o£ &e oonquerorT draeeed him off, the ottier might have been gorefto death. The presents followed this fast condistribute them, both to the conquered and the conquerors.

MB. PLIMSOLL AND THE HOUSE. On the reading of the first Order of the Day, Mr. Plimsoll rose amid cheers and said that he did not require an entire week, -which was so generously accorded him, for the consideration of his position in relation to the House to determine the course which lie should pursue. He thanked the House for the generous opportunity "which it had afforded him for reflection. He was of opinion that it would have been impossible for the Government to maintain its influence and authority abroad, or for the House to uphold that dig-, nity and respect which it was bound to preserve, if some notice had not been taken of what had occurred on Thursday last, when he felt that he had exceeded the bounds of right and order. He, therefore, wished to take that course which patriotism and common sense, as well as the respect which he felt for the House, dictated to withdraw such terms as might have transgressed Parliamentary usage, and to apologise to the Speaker and the House for having used such language—(cheers). And this he would now do in no grudging or reluctant spirit, but frankly aud sincerely; and he hoped that the Speaker and the House would accept this apology—(cheers). He trusted that it would not be considered inconsistent with that respect which he bore to the House, in the apology which he had just made, if he did not withdraw any statement as to fact— (hear, hear). He now submitted himself to the pleasure of the House, and awaited its decision— (cheers). — Mr. Disraeli : Mr. Speaker, when I rose a week ago to make the motion that the hon. member should be reprimanded from the chair, I was unaware of any circumstances except those which were patent to every member present. I felt I was only doing my duty faithfully towards you and to the House m making that motion. But I confess that had I been aware then of the circumstances with which the House was made acquainted afterward— had the authorised statement been made which was subsequently made by the friends of the hon. member for Derby—l mean the statement mada by the hon. member for Louth—or had I been acquainted with the circumstances to which he referred, I should not have made the motion which I then made—(hear, hear). I should have felt that the casejwas one of a peculiar character and to be treated in a very different spirit. I should have looked upon it, as I look upon it now, as a case of overstrained sensibility—(hear, hear) —the case of a man carried away by his devotion to a cause which, however many of us may differ as to the manner in which he proposes to deal with it, all mast acknowledge to be great and important—(cheers). I will even say that had the hon. gentleman not appeared in his place to-day, I should have declined to press for any distinct opinion of the House, but I should have again advised the House to postpone even for a longer period the motion which, as an act of duty, I had offered to their consideration— (cheers). But I am, like all of us, lam sure, deeply gratified to know that we have not to consider an issue of that character—(cheers); that we have seen the hon. gentleman in his place restored, I am sure, from his tone and bearing, to thaivstate of temper which becomes all who #fe members of this Assembly ; and I thick I am expressing the genera! feelings of both sides of the. House when I say that we receive the expressions which he has offered to us as a complete and satis-' J factory apology for what was, no doubt.fl under ordinary circumstances, a grave indis-™ cretion—(hear, hear). These sentiments have ; been uttered, I am sure, by the hon. mem- I ber for Derby in full sincerity, and I now move that the Order be discharged.—After a few words from Mr. Bentinck and Mr. Newdegate, the motion was agreed tOi— English Paper. I

PROFESSOR RAREY'S CELEBRATED

HORSE CRUISER. Probably no horse was ever more generally known than the celebrated horse Cruiser, imported from England in 1861 by John S. Rarey, whose sytem of horse-taming was for some time the sensation in this country and England. When Sir. Rarey went to England his system was thoroughly put to the test by contact with Cruiser, an animal that was so vicious that he was closely and continuously confined in a stable in such a way that he could by no possibility reach anybody either with his mouth or heels. Bus food was delivered to him through a sort of funnel, and he seems to have been kept solely as an extremely wicked curiosity. Hie splendid muscle and activity gave him the widest scope for the exercise of his incorrigibility, and he is said to have kicked so high as to strike a board floor fourteen feet above the floor on which he stood. Ordinarily, it was only the work of a few minutes for Mr. Rarey to tamo a horse, but it took him three hours to subdue the terrific Cruiser. After putting Cruiser under control, Mr. Rarey purchased him and brought him to this country, and placed him on the Rarey farm, at Groveport, in this county, where he became popular among breeders. He became so gentle that the people about the Rarey farm could fondle him as they would a kitten, and_ his colts were noted for their kind disposition. Strangers, however, were not permitted to have much to do with him. This wan to prevent teasing and the revival of the_ old propensities. Cruiser died at the Rarey iarm on July 6, in the twenty-third year of his age. His teeth were worn so much that he could not eat hay, and provender had to be specially provided for him. As contemplated by the will of Mr, Rarey, he received the kindest care in his old age, and it was only recently that he fell into a decline. From a bill dated May 4, 1861, we take the pedigree of Cruiser, as follows: —"Cruiser is of the celebrated Venison etock of England, and was sired by Old Venison, the winner of the Derby race in 1818. Venison proved himself the stoutest horse of his day, having travelled on foot in one year, when only three years old 900 miles, and run fourteen and won twelve. Cruiser was bred by Lord Dorchester in 18E2, sired by Venison by Partisan, by Walton, out of Parasol by Potatoes, son of Eclipse. Cruiser's dam was Red Rover by I'ramp, out of Syntaxina, sister of Syntax, sire of Beeswing, the dam of Newminster, the moat valuable stallion now in England."

The Greatest Member of Parliament—The tongue. Josh Billings says he don't care how much people talk, if they will only say it in a few words.

A Boy's Paradise.—First boy: "I say, Jimmy, there's no water; it's frozen everywhere." Second boy :" Bully ! May be we won't have to wash ourselves till the middle of spring I" Manners and Customs of the English. —The English correspondent of the Paris Figaro has been to Liverpool, and asserts that there the hearses stand for hire in ranks like the fiacres do,on the Boulevards.