Among the amusements of the Indians the greatest is cock-fighting,
for which they have a passion; and nearly every native throughout
the islands gratifies this taste by keeping a fighting cock, which
may be seen carried about with him perched on an arm or a shoulder,
in all the pride of a favourite of its master.
During Sundays and feast-days, when no work is allowed to be done,
nearly the half of the native population, if able to muster a few
rials, repair to the village cockpit, to arrange some match for their
favorite fowl, on which they will sometimes stake large amounts,
or to see the sport of their neighbours.
The privilege of opening a cockpit is an important source of revenue
to the Government, which farms it out to the highest bidder, who, I
believe, has the power to stop fighting for money at any place within
the limits of his district other than the privileged arena, for an
admission to which he exacts a small charge from each person, which is
the mode of reimbursing himself for the amount paid to the Government.
This place is generally a large house, constructed of _cana_, wattled
like a coarse basket, and surrounded by a high paling of the same
description, which forms a sort of court-yard, where the cocks are
kept waiting their turns to come upon the stage, should their owners
have succeeded in arranging a satisfactory match. Passing across
the yard, the door of the house, within which the matches come off,
stands open: after entering and ascending the steps, the arena is
before us, surrounded by seats sloping down from the wall towards it,
so that every one may be able distinctly to witness the event.
After the owners of the contending cocks have walked into the ring
and displayed them, each armed with a long and sharp steel spur, many
critical opinions are expressed by the Indians; and the judgments
of the old men, who are keen upon the sport, are worth hearing by
a visitor.
The spectators having viewed the birds carefully, the bets are
made, by calling one of the men who are constantly walking round
the outside of the arena, for the purpose of arranging the amounts
of bets ventured on either of the birds. Giving him the money with
which you back your opinion, he generally quickly finds, or may at
the moment hold in his hand, the money ventured by some one else on
the other cock, and apprises you of the arrangement. But should your
cock chance to be a favourite, and the broker be unable to arrange an
equal bet against the other, he tells you so before the set-to begins,
and returns your money if you are not disposed to give odds.
In general the conflict does not last long: in from about two to
five minutes after the set-to, one or other of the birds is pretty
sure to be either killed, or so badly wounded by the steel spur as
to show he has had enough of it, and to give in. Until this happens,
the utmost quietness is maintained by the people, and their intense
interest is only shown by their outstretched necks and eager looks,
as well as by their muttered exclamations at the various stages of the
fight; at the end of which, of course, the gainers are noisy, and in
high spirits at pocketing the money, which is heard clinking all round.
The amount of money staked on the issue is never very large; at least,
I have not seen more than eighty or a hundred dollars staked in any
cockpit, and the usual bet is an ounce of gold, or nearly four pounds.
Chance, in a great measure, appears to decide the event; as an early
blow with the sharp spur is quite sufficient to cripple the bird which
receives it so much as to determine the fate of the battle. Quickness
and game no doubt tell to some extent, but not very much. Of course,
the breeding of cocks engages a good deal of attention by those
interested in the amusement; but with the details of it I am not
acquainted.
Many of the Indians, however, appear to be more fond of a good cock,
and to display more anxiety about it, than would be shown by them
to their wives and children, who are not objects of nearly so much
attention.
Although extravagantly fond of all games of chance, none of them
appears to be so captivating as the cockpit, which ranks as their chief
passion. Of games at cards, the principal one is _monte_, the playing
of which is sometimes carried on to a great extent, which has caused
such distress that the law has wisely endeavoured to stop the evil,
by enacting severe fines and punishment against those caught playing
at it. Houses suspected of carrying it on, are at all times subject
to a visit from the alguacils, all the people found in them being
carried off to jail.
But notwithstanding these measures, it is found impossible to put
gambling down entirely, and some of the alcaldes, knowing the inutility
of attempting to do so, habitually give private instructions to their
policemen not to hunt for people playing _monte_, and not to molest
them if found doing so. Tresilla, tresiete, &c., are names of other
games at cards commonly played at Manilla.
Billiards is also a favourite game of the Indians, whose play differs
in some particulars from ours, and from the usual Spanish game, which
is also dissimilar to ours. Tables are scattered throughout the town,
entirely for the use of the native population, some of whom show
considerable dexterity.
Although bull-baiting used many years since to be an amusement here,
it is never heard of now, having quite gone out of fashion. Neither
are the bull-fights, as managed in Spain, practised here, probably
from the effects of the climate on the men, who would not much relish
a combat with one of the small, but spirited and powerfully shaped
bulls of the country.
The considerable number of officers of the troops, and other government
_empleados_, are acquisitions to the society of the place; for being
principally half occupied people, they are almost obliged to have
recourse to amusements to kill the time, which would otherwise hang
very heavy on their hands; and principally to their exertions must
we attribute the means of enjoyment, such as they are, which are now
available here.
There is a subscription ball-room, where assemblies are held three
times a-month; at one of which there is only dancing; at another,
performances by the amateurs of vocal and instrumental music. Some
of them, having a taste that way, do wonders for amateurs; and after
the concert, there is dancing.
At the third monthly assembly, there is a farce or play of some sort
acted by amateurs; and as the Spanish genius inclines to the buskin
and the sock, they acquit themselves very well.
To this _sociedad de recreo_, or casino, there are many subscribers,
including the Governor and his family, if he has any, and all the
considerable people of the place, who for many years kept out those
of lower caste than themselves by the ballot, which is the mode of
electing candidates, who must be introduced by two members. However,
at last the funds of the society got so low, that the admission
of many new members was requisite to bolster up the concern with
their entrance-money and monthly contributions, and, of course, a
much more indiscriminate set were admitted, than formerly used to go
there, which caused one or two people to absent themselves from the
assemblies for some time, as no one, of course, chooses to introduce
his daughters among people he does not wish to associate with. On
the whole, however, the place has benefited by the new people; that
is to say, it is more gay than before they came, which is the chief
consideration to one careless of the precise social degree of any
handsome and pleasant girl whom he may meet at the place.
All the ladies sit together; and the men, who dare not, apparently,
trust themselves so close to their brilliant and beautiful eyes,
as we fancy we can do with impunity in Britain, promenade up and
down the ball-room, or in one of the large ante-rooms contiguous to
it. No doubt their tindery and inflammable temperaments, whenever
love-making is concerned, has something to do with this arrangement;
as, if a young male acquaintance of any damsel took a seat beside her,
it would be certain to attract the papa or chaperon, to the spot, to
see what was going on, as their most likely subject of conversation
would have a strong leaning towards a flirtation, or downright
love-making, at which nearly all the Spaniards are great adepts;
the flowery expressions of their language being peculiarly suitable
for such sentimental recreations.
Besides the principal theatre, where Spaniards are the actors,
there are two native theatres, where plays are represented in the
Tagalog language, and written to suit their ideas of the drama; the
subjects represented being principally tragedies connected with their
historical traditions, and of their fathers' earliest connections
with their European conquerors.
But their mode of representing these subjects is scarcely suitable
to any one's taste but their own, as the amount of vociferation,
and drawling singing of the women who take a part in the pieces,
are very disagreeable, and the noise and quantity of fighting with
which they are always interlarded, is tiresome. Yet, strange to say,
they themselves are much interested while listening to these absurd
recitatives.
The Spanish theatre is generally opened twice a-week, and one or two
of the performers act very creditably. The national passion is for
dramatic amusements; and the house, which is a large one, is usually
well filled.