CALLAO AND LIMA. ^ 



The town is situated several miles from the site of old 

 Callao,* and numbers about five thousand inhabitants. It 

 has not much to commend it. The only well-built houses 

 are those on the main street. The churches and other 

 public buildings are too insignificant to deserve description. 



The market is held in a large open square. Oranges, 

 apples, figs, grapes, granaclillas, and chirimoyas, are abun- 

 dant in their season. Yegetables of every sort are also to be 

 had. Beef is cut into small pieces to suit the purchasers, 

 and poultry is cut up in a similar manner ; the former is 

 killed in the outskirts of the town, and the hide, head and 

 entrails are left for the buzzards, which are very nume- 

 rous and protected by law ; the rest of the carcase is 

 brought to market on the backs of donkeys. 



The inhabitants are addicted to gambling, and pass most 

 of their time at the billiard-rooms and monte-tables. 



The old castle claimed our attention ; it covers a large 

 extent of ground, and its walls are high and very massive. 

 One of the officers told us that it was capable of quarter- 

 ing ten thousand troops. It was once looked upon as the 

 key of the country. Whichever party had it in posses- 

 sion, w r ere considered masters of Peru. As I have already 

 remarked, it is now used as a depot for goods, and is nearly 

 dismantled — only five of the guns remain out of the 140 

 which it mounted ; the metal of these is brass, and their 

 proportions are beautiful. The garrison consisted of eight 

 hundred men. I cannot say much for their personal ap- 

 pearance ; they were quite short, had an awkward gait, 

 and dull, stupid countenances. If they are a fair speci- 

 men of the soldiers of the country, it is no wonder that 

 the Chilians have been able to conquer it so easily. 



*01d Callao was destroyed by the memorable earthquake of 1746. In the same earth- 

 quake a first-class frigate, lying in the harbor, was lifted several hundred feet and carried 

 inland a considerable distance. -where a monument was erected to commemorate the event. 



