132 PKKU. 



Negro, and Indian blood. They appear a de- 

 'praved, drunken set of people. The atmosphere 

 is loaded with foul smells, and that peculiar one, 

 which may be perceived in almost every town within 

 the tropics, was here very strong. The fortress, 

 which withstood Lord Cochrane's long siege, has 

 an imposing appearance. But the President, du- 

 ring our stay, sold the brass guns, and proceeded 

 to dismantle parts of it. The reason assigned was, 

 that he had not an officer to whom he could trust 

 so important a charge. Ho himself had good rea- 

 sons for thinking so, as he had obtained the presi- 

 dentship by rebelling while in charge of this same 

 fortress. After we left South America, he paid 

 the penalty in the usual mannei', by being con- 

 quered, taken prisoner, and shot. 



Lima stands on a plain in a valley, formed during 

 the gradual retreat of the sea. It is seven miles 

 from Callao, and is elevated 500 feet above it; but 

 from the slope being very gradual, the road appears 

 absolutely level, so tbat when at Lima it is diffi- 

 cult to believe one has ascended even one hundred 

 feet : Humboldt has remarked on this singularly 

 deceptive case. Steep, baiTen hills rise like isl- 

 ands from the plain, which is divided by straight 

 mud-walls into large green fields. In these scarce- 

 ly a tree grows excepting a few willows, and an 

 occasional clump of bananas and of oranges. The 

 city of Lima is now in a wi-etched state of decay : 

 the streets are nearly unpaved ; and heaps of filth 

 are piled up in all directions, where the black gal- 

 linazos, tame as poultry, pick up bits of caiTion. 

 The houses have generally an upper story, built, 

 on account of the eaithquakes, of plastered wood- 

 work ; but some of the old ones, which are now 

 used by several families, are immensely large, and 

 would rival in suites of apartments the most mag- 



