p and
handle his cock during the battle to clear his eye of a feather or his
mouth of blood. When a cock is killed, or runs, the other must have
sufficient spirit and vigour left to peck at him three times, on his
being held to him for that purpose, or it becomes a drawn battle; and
sometimes an experienced cocker will place the head of his vanquished
bird in such an uncouth posture as to terrify the other and render him
unable to give this proof of victory. The cocks are never trimmed, but
matched in full feather. The artificial spur used in Sumatra resembles in
shape the blade of a scimitar, and proves a more destructive weapon than
the European spur. It has no socket but is tied to the leg, and in the
position of it the nicety of the match is regulated. As in horse-racing
weight is proportioned to inches, so in cocking a bird of superior weight
and size is brought to an equality with his adversary by fixing the steel
spur so many scales of the leg above the natural spur, and thus obliging
him to fight with a degree of disadvantage. It rarely happens that both
cocks survive the combat.

In the northern parts of the island, where gold-dust is the common medium
of gambling, as well as of trade, so much is accidentally dropped in
weighing and delivering that at some cock-pits, where the resort of
people is great, the sweepings are said, probably with exaggeration, to
be worth upwards of a thousand dollars per annum to the owner of the
ground; beside his profit of two fanams (five pence) for each battle.

QUAIL-FIGHTING.

In some places they match quails, in the manner of cocks. These fight
with great inveteracy, and endeavour to seize each other by the tongue.
The Achinese bring also into combat the dial-bird (murei) which resembles
a small magpie, but has an agreeable though imperfect note. They
sometimes engage one another on the wing, and drop to the ground in the
struggle.

FENCING.

They have other diversions of a more innocent nature. Matches of fencing,
or a species of tournament, are exhibited on particular days; as at the
breaking up of their annual fast, or month of ramadan, called there the
puasa. On these occasions they practise strange attitudes, with violent
contortions of the body, and often work themselves up to a degree of
frenzy, when the old men step in and carry them off. These exercises in
some circumstances resemble the idea which the ancients have given us of
the pyrrhic or war dance; the com