Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA, 55 



from nobility or the military orders ; a very wige 

 measure, and ofwhicli Spain woiiTd be still more sen- 

 sible, were it extendeilto all its dependencies. 



At Lima, as at Quito, and all Spanish America, 

 some of the eminent families have been loni»; since set- 

 tled there, whilst the prosperity of others is of a later 

 date ; for being the centre of the whole commerce of 

 Peru, a greater niniiber of Europeans resort to it, 

 than to any other citv ; some for trade, and others 

 from being invested in Spain with considerable em- 

 ployments : among both are persons of the greatest 

 merit; and though many aiier they have finished their 

 respective aifairs, return home, yet the major part, in- 

 duced by the fertility of the soil^ and the goodness of 

 the climate, remain at Lima, and marrv voung ladies 

 remarkable equally for the gifts of fortune as those of 

 nature ; and thus new families are conlinually settled. 

 The Negroes, Mulattocs, and their descendants, 

 form the greater number of the inhabitants • and of 

 these are the greatest partofthe mechanics; though here 

 the Europeans also follow thesameoccupations, which 

 are not at Lima reckoned disgraceful to them, as they 

 are at (^uito ; for gain being herethe universal passion, 

 theinhabitaatspursue it by means of any trade,w ithout 

 regard to its being followed by Mulattoes, interest 

 here preponderating against any other consideration. 

 The third, and last class of iidiabitants, are the 

 Indians and Mestizos, but these are very small in pr0'=- 

 portion to the largeness of the city, and the multitudes 

 of the second class, '^ihey are employed in agricul- 

 ture, in making earthenware, and bringing all kinds 

 of provisions to market, domestick services being pefr- 

 formed by Negroes and Mulattoes, either slaves or 

 free, though generally by the former. 



The usual dress of the men ditfers very little from 

 that wG^n in Spain, nor is the distinction between the 

 several classes very great ; for the use of all sorts of 

 cloth being allowed, every on« wears what he can 



purchase. 



