Women as Picadors.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 52

Women as Picadors.

The Biiceiona bull fight is quite different from the same kind of sporb in other Spanish cities, for ib iB there tint the wooian bull-tighter is born and bred and makes hir introductory kilting before an admiring audience. Some of the .aristocracy of tbe old regime deplore the essubnee of the woman bull-nghber, but tbe middle classeß adore her, aud every year marks an in the tanks of the feminine dabblers in blood. The degeneracy of the bull ■ring, according to Spmish authorities, came ,with the appearauce of ihe woman fighter. From the ranks of the Barcelona mil hand?, girls with agile bodies, hands. me in face and iorm, come the womeu bull-fighters; As miil hiuds they $re virtually slaves, earning only enough to keep body aud >oul together. As bull-Bghters they ate the idols of the people, the recipients of showers of adulation, , with fine clothes and plenty or money to spend. They live under a halo of happiness and prosperity. No wbader it is the dream by day and night of all the prebly, dauk-ejed girls slaving away in tbe mills that the-y too will enter the aivua tome day and kill bulls amid the wild enthusiasm of the be3t people of the city. Ou the day sob aparb for the women bullfighters there are women only in tha ring. The picadors ride in ou the equine wrecks garbed in the costume of tho Spanish kuighca of the Middle Ages. The womoa look very handsome and ride with considerable grace. Following the picadors are the chillos on foot, who wear wonderful cloaks aud enough ribbon bo stock a small frhop. They group themselves so that the' swirliug anas of variegated oolour will aggravate the lu'l, After a short pause, in comes bhe matador with a* naked s.vord iv her hand. She, of course, is 'the queen of the day. Tue righb hand holds the sword, and in bhe lefb she carries bhe muleta, a slender slick with a bib of scarlet silk attached. The picadors take up a posibion in the ceubre of tie ring with I bhtic long lances held firmly. Then the bull is driven iv. This is a critical I mamen*. Tae experienced ouis in a momeut can tell whether the bull is a natural fighter o: whether ho is peaceably incliced. If the former, they know that they wilL g>st their moneys worth in blood. If the latter, they | have their doubts. Tae cleverest women bullILjhbers iv Sp«u to-day areProrideucia A'meda I and Maria Alvarado. They are great riva's, and each has an immense following of adI mirers.