. This is one of those plants so much celebrated by the 
Peruvians under the name of AmAncags. And so great a 
favourite is this flower with the people, that the plain at 
the foot of the mountains, where it grows, near Lima, bears 
the same name; and’ one of ithe greatest festivals at Lima, 
called the “Festival. of the Amancaes,” is thus described 
 _ by 2 ranger anscatit visitor, 
\\ “T*"_ The Amancaise isan anniial festival, celebrated at. 
Lima on the 24th: of June: it is something similar to our 
May-Day,; the occasion of it being the height of bloom at 
that time.of a)flower peculiar to; Peru, called the ‘ Aman- 
caise,’ to gather which, the citizens of every: class, in the 
afternoon of the day, ‘hasten; ,as:aigala,'to a spot in the 
vicinity of the city)deriving its name; as well as the festival 
itself, from the’ flower which: grows more abundantly there 
than in any: other place. } 
** After an early dinner, our party, principally on: horse- 
back, set) off... 1t was with difficulty that a sufficient number 
of steeds could be secured, as every animal of the name and 
similitude, in the city; is put in requisition at this time, if at 
no other during the year...) | 
“ We left the city by a new and handsome gate on the 
North, and crossing the bridge over, the Rimac, passed 
through ‘a large ‘suburb, ‘whence: we entered a regularly 
planted and! beautiful. Almeda} or. aventie, a favourite pro- 
menade of the Limanians, and similar to that already 
described at the entrance: of the, city from Callao. 
_. “After passing ithe Almeda, we entered a narrow, wind- 
ing, and) sandy road, enclosed on either side-by high mud 
walls and completely filled by parties in carriages, on horse- 
back, and on foot, gazing at each other, and interchanging 
looks; and, bows of cheerful hilarity, Here were persons 
of every class of society, from the highest to! the lowest, and 
of every shade, and) colour, from the fairest: Briton to the 
deepest ebony of the African Tribésisj0™ bes 1 © 
-‘* At the end of two.miles, we: found ourselves elose to the 
wild. and: naked hills; encircling Lima on the North and 
East, and immediately, in: front of a'gorge, between two of 
these, terminating at the distance of half a mile, against the 
steep acclivity of a third., ‘The whole:were'bare as volcanic 
ashes and sand can make them).ex¢ept where the bloom of 
the flower, which had called the crowds together, exbibited; 
here and there, a tinge of yellow, (for this was the ‘ Aman- 
cause, the spot of our visit,) and ‘over: the precipitous sides 
of which, small parties were already scattered, and even 
horsemen, 
