coffins are open, exposing the dried-up remains of the saints, clothed in leather jackets and shoes, which the sacristan made no difficulty about disposing of for a trifle. Two skulls and a hand were obtained. There is some good carving about the choir of the Cathedral. A hospital is attached to this church. A novel sort of hearse was seen employed here, with four drawers as temporary coffins. The market of Lima is kept in an open square. It is a strange place to visit, and the scene that is witnessed there cannot fail to amuse the stranger. It is well supplied, and many purchasers frequent it. There are no stalls, and mats are used in their stead. The meat is laid on them in rows, and the vegetables heaped up in piles. Some of the piles consist of only one kind, but they are generally all mixed together. The meat, as at Callao, is cut with the grain, and into small pieces, to suit the purchasers; and poultry is cut up in a similar manner. But what will most attract a stranger's notice, are the cooking establishments. These are in great request; stews, fries, and olla podridas, are in constant preparation by some brawny dame, who deals out, with much gravity and a business-like air, the small pieces to the hungry Indians who stand by waiting for their turn. The fried dishes seemed to claim their preference, if one could judge by the number in waiting. The expertness of the woman who officiated was truly wonderful, twisting and twirling the dough in her hand, placing it upon a stick, dipping it in the hot oil, and slipping it as soon as cooked dexterously into the dish for her customers. Then again was a frier of pancakes close by, equally expert. The variety of dishes cooking was surprising, and those who fried fish exhibited undoubted proofs of their freshness, by consigning them to the pan before they ceased to live. I was surprised at the variety of fish, meats, vegetables, and fruits; the latter particularly. These were in season, and included oranges, cherimoyers, pomegranates, paltas, plantains, bananas, papaws, granadillas, apples, figs and ananas. The above are the usual articles crowded into the market, but were I to stop here, one half would not be told. All sorts of goods, jewelry, cottons, woollens, laces, hardware, linen fabrics, handkerchiefs, shoes, slippers, hats, &c., are hawked about by pedlers with stentorian lungs, who, with the lottery-venders, with tickets, ink-horn, and pen, selling the tickets in the name of the Holy Virgin and all the saints, make an uproar that one can have little idea of, without mixing in or witnessing it. The convent of San Francisco occupies six or seven acres of ground. In its days of prosperity it must have been a magnificent establishment. Its chapels are very rich in gilding, carved work, &c., and the cloisters are ornamented with beautiful fountains and flowergardens. Part of it is now occupied by the soldiers as barracks, and their muskets are stacked on the altar of one of its chapels. It has long since been stripped of its riches and deserted, but it seems once to have possessed all that wealth, luxury, and taste could effect or suggest. The good Father Anculus, who showed the building, was shrewd and obliging. The gallery of paintings contains it is said many fine Murillos. The remains of its former splendour, even now, justifies what Father Feüillee asserted, that there was nothing of the kind to compare with it in Europe. There are but few friars here at present, but it is said to have formerly maintained five hundred, living in the greatest luxury and licentiousness. The most remarkable object in the church, was the shrine and image of a black Virgin Mary, with a white infant Saviour in her arms, The public library is composed of rare and valuable books, both in French and Spanish, taken from the Jesuits' College and convents. They are in good order, and among them are many manuscripts which are beautifully illuminated. The librarian, a young priest, deserves our thanks for his attention and civility. The public museum has been but lately commenced. It contains a collection of curious Peruvian antiquities, some native birds, and the portraits of all the Viceroys, from Pizarro down. At the cabildos or city hall, are to be seen some of the archives of Lima, kept until recently in good order. Many signatures of the old Viceroys and Governors are quite curious; among others, that of Pizarro is shown. As few of them could write, they adopted the Rubrica, made by placing the finger of the left hand and making the flourish on each side of it, the clerk filling in the name. This method has since been generally adopted among the South Americans, in signing official documents, being considered full as binding as if the name was written. The book in which the signatures were written, was entitled: LIBRO 10 DE LOS CABILDOS DE ESTA CIUDAD DE LOS REYES, QUE CORMIENZA, EL ANO DE This would make it appear that the city was founded a year before the date given in Herrera, Garcilaso, Calancha, Montalvo, and others, who dispute about the day of the month, without having regard to the year. This book bears evidence that the municipality was organized a year prior to that given by them as the year in which the city was founded. Very little doubt can exist that the city must have been founded before the municipality existed. The theatre is a handsome building, although much out of repair. It was brilliantly lighted the night we visited it, and was crowded with numerous officers in full uniform. Among them were many Chilians of rank. The ladies in the boxes were in full costume, and made a great display of jewels. In the parterre there were many "tapadas.” The horrors of the Inquisition formed a prominent part of the subject of the play. For the performance I cannot say much. Near the Alameda, on the north side of the city, is a large oblong enclosure of nearly eight acres, with thick stone walls, and a large gateway at each end. It was intended for a naval school, and theatre to exhibit sea-fights. It contains large reservoirs, which were intended to be filled with water from the Rimac, to float a tiny fleet, some of which it is said were actually constructed. This was a favourite project with one of the last Viceroys, and a more absurd one could scarcely have been conceived. The water is now used for a much better purpose, namely, to turn the machinery of some adjacent mills. There are three classes of inhabitants, viz.: whites, Indians, and negroes. The union of the two first produces the cholo; of the two last, the zambo; and of the first and last, the mulatto. The Spaniards, or whites, are a tall race, particularly the females. They have brown complexions, but occasionally a brilliant colour, black hair and eyes. Some of them are extremely beautiful. The cholos are shorter, but well made, and have particularly small feet and hands. All classes of people are addicted to the smoking of cigars, even in carriages and at the dinner-table. It does not seem to be considered by any one as unpleasant, and foreigners have adopted the custom. The cholo women partake of the dark brown skin of the Indian, have low figures, short round faces, high cheek-bones, good teeth, and small hands and feet. Their whole figure is robust. There does not appear to exist any accurate account of the population of Peru; but it is generally believed to have decreased, particularly as regards the whites and negroes. The best information gives but little over a million inhabitants, viz.: about one hundred and twentyfive thousand whites; natives and cholos, eight hundred thousand; with ninety thousand negroes and ranchos, of whom about thirty-five thousand are slaves. This does not vary much from the number given by the geographies forty years ago. The country appears, from all accounts, not only to have decreased in population, but to have diminished in wealth and productiveness. A much less proportion of the soil is now cultivated than formerly under the "Children of the Sun." There are half a dozen newspapers published in Lima, two of which are issued daily. They are, like the Spanish, small sheets. They have a good deal of control over public opinion. Few or no advertisements are seen in them. These are deemed unnecessary in Lima, and all the amusements, such as the theatre, cockfighting, &c., are placarded on the portals. A high price is asked for the newspapers. On the 30th of May there was a grand procession, on the festival of Corpus Christi. It was preceded by a party of negroes, dressed in the most gaudy colours, singing, dancing, and keeping time to a native tune, somewhat like Mumbo Jumbo, to testify their joy that the blessings of Christianity had reached them. Then followed some priests, bearing lamps covered with artificial flowers, and swinging censers. Next came the shrines of the Virgin and saints, covered with tinsel and gold, mounted on large pedestals, and borne on the shoulders of men. After this came the host, and on its passing every one uncovered and kneeled down. Then came the military, who were all out, and offered us a fine opportunity of viewing the recruits, the greater proportion of whom were Indians. The government had been ferreting out the Indians in a manner hitherto unpractised. There was much mixed blood among the Peruvian soldiers, cholos, zambos, and some few negroes, while the Chilian troops had very little. Among the Chilians, the regiment of Portales was pointed out, which had left Chili six hundred strong, and was now reduced to four hundred. During my stay at Lima, I had the pleasure of an introduction to Mr. Mathews, whose researches in natural history are so well known. Combined with his being a good naturalist, he has great talent as an artist. His portfolio contained many beautiful drawings of plants, flowers, and birds, from beyond the Cordilleras. He owned an estate of thirty miles square, at the foot of the eastern slope of the Cordilleras, for which I think he had paid one thousand dollars. He is married to a woman of the country, is extremely enthusiastic in his researches, and has lately recovered some of the unpublished manuscripts of Ruiz and Pavon. There are several small manufactories of gold lace, &c., but nearly all the goods sold and consumed in the country are foreign. Lima is the great retail place. There has been lately set up a manufactory of glass, but too recently to judge of its success. The mechanical employments are numerous, but all are in a rude state. When it is considered that Lima was founded nearly a century before the settlement of our own country, it shows a marked difference in favour of the enterprise of the Anglo-Saxon race. On St. John's day, (24th of June,) the patron saint of Lima, a great festival among the lower classes-the cholos, natives, zambos, and blacks-takes place. It is held in the valley of Amancaes, about three miles north of the city. Previous to the day, a number of tents and booths are erected in the valley, which is about half a mile long, and one-third of a mile wide. These are decked out with flags and banners. There are tents for refreshments, strong drinks, dancing, gambling, &c., in every direction. On the road leading to this scene are erected shrines of the saint, where all who pass are expected to pay their contributions. On this day, every horse and vehicle in Lima is engaged, and at exorbitant rates. The whole road leading to the valley is crowded from an early hour in the morning. The higher classes generally frequent it early and return soon, while those of the middle and lower classes continue to keep it up until a late hour. Every one is decked with the flowers of the Pancratium Amancaes, which grows in great * In the death of this gentleman, science has lost one of her most zealous and enthusi astic labourers. |