When all is
prepared, a door is opened under the box occupied by the municipality,
and a bull rushes from a pen. At first he gazes about as if in surprise,
but is soon put upon his mettle, by the waving of flags and the throwing
of darts, crackers, and other annoyances. The amateur cavaliers display
their horsemanship and skill in provoking and in eluding his vengeance,
in order to catch the eye of some favourite fair one, and to gain the
applause of their friends and the audience. They infuriate the animal by
waving a mantle over his head, and when pursued they do not allow their
horses to advance more than a few inches from the horns of the angry
bull. When at full speed, they make their horse revolve upon his hind
legs, and remain in readiness to make a second turn upon the animal.
This operation is several times repeated with equal agility and
boldness, and is called _capear_. The amateurs then promenade around to
acknowledge the plaudits bestowed. This species of sparring on horseback
with the bull, is practised only in South America. Indeed in no other
part of the world is the training of the horses, or the dexterity of the
horseman, equal to the performance of such exploits.
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