Palace of the viceroy. Fountain. 

 Market at Lima. 



PERU. 



Convent of San Francisco. Library. 

 Museum. Autograph of Pizarro. 



consequently quite exposed, to their remotest 

 corner. The second story is occupied as dwell- 

 ings. 



The palace of the viceroy occupies the north 

 side of the plaza. The lower part of it is a row of 

 small shops, principally tinkers and smallware- 

 dealers. On the east side is the archbishop's 

 palace and the cathedral. 



The fountain in the centre of the plaza is a fine 

 piece of work, and was erected, according to the 

 inscription, in 1600, by Don Garcia Sarmiento 

 Sotomayer, the viceroy and captain-general of the 

 kingdom. 



" El que bebe de la pila sequenda in Lima," is 

 the usual saying. 



" He that drinks of the fountain will not leave 

 Lima." 



The cathedral is a remarkable building, not only 

 from its size, but its ornaments. Most of the deco- 

 rations are in bad taste, and I should imagine its for- 

 mer riches in the metals and precious stones have 

 contributed chiefly to its celebrity. Certainly those 

 ornaments which are left cannot be much admired. 



Its great altar, composed of silver, might as 

 well be of lead, or pewter, for all the show it makes. 

 In a chapel on one side of the building, there is a 

 collection of portraits of the archbishops. They 

 are good faces, well painted, and all are there but 

 the one who, at the breaking out of the revolution, 

 proved faithful to his sovereign and the Spanish 

 cause. They all have had the honour, except 

 him, to be interred in niches, in the crypt, under 

 the great altar. Many of the 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 ca- 

 thedral. 



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. 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 of- 

 ficiated 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 cus- 

 tomers. 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, cheri- 



moyers, pomegranates, paltas, plantains, bananas, 

 papaws, granadillas, apples, figs, and ananas. 



The above are the usual articles crowded into 

 the marktt, 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, selljng 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 wit- 

 nessing 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 flower-gardens. 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 pos- 

 sessed 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 Feiiillee 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 manu- 

 scripts which are beautifully illuminated. The 

 librarian, a young priest, deserves our thanks for 

 his attention and civility. 



The public museum has been but lately com- 

 menced. It contains a collection of curious Pe- 

 ruvian 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 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. 



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 car- 



