BETAGH's account of PERIT, 



nitles of inquiring into thofe things very minutely, which did not fall immediately under 

 my obfervation as an eye-witnefs ; and of thefe I fhall endeavour to give the reader as 

 clear, as diftinft, and as accurate an account, as is in my power, with the greateft 

 regard to truth, and conftantly diftinguifhing between what fell immediately under my 

 knowledge, and what was derived to me by the information of others. This was cer- 

 tainly the bed ufe I could make of that leifure I enjoyed, while a prifoner in the hands 

 of the Spaniards ; and may poffibly contribute more to the fervice of my country, than 

 if I had employed myfelf in privateering on the coafl. I fhall begin with the defcription 

 of the place where I fpent moft part of my time, and which, as it is the centre of the 

 Spanifli government in thefe parts, enabled me to gain a greater infight into their 

 affairs, than if I had paffed my days in any of their ports, or in an inland city, lefs 

 frequented. The liberty I was flowed, and the kind ufage I received, made this ftill 

 the more eafy ; and therefore it may be depended upon, that what I offer the world is 

 a fair and genuine reprefentation of matters of fa6t, and not a fine-fpun ftory, framed 

 from conje£ture and hearfay. If, after all, the wide difference between the manners 

 of thefe people and thofe in the northern part of Europe, Ihould give it an air of extra- 

 vagance, I muft defire the reader to refled, that this is not owing to me, but to the 

 fubje£t. A man, who undertakes to defcribe things he has feen, muft defcribe them 

 as they are, without regard to the appearance they may make in the eyes of others. 

 But to come to the point : The great and rich city of Lima is the metropolis of Peru, 

 and the feat of an archbifhop. It is a regular-built city, the ftreets all flrait and fpa- 

 cious ; fo that you go through it any way, without turning a corner. It is compofed 

 of little fquares, like St. lago, the capital of Chili ; which was copied from this. It 

 ftands in an open vale, having only a gentle ftream to water it, and which divides it,, 

 as the Thames does London from Southwark, allowing for the great difproportion. 

 The port of Lima is at Calao, feven miles below it. The houfes are only one ftory 

 high, of twelve or fourteen feet, becaufe of the frequent earthquakes in that country. 

 There are about eight parifhes, three colleges for ftudents, twenty-eight monafteries 

 of friars, and thirteen monafteries of nuns ; fo that the religious take up a fourth part 

 of the city. However, by the quick flow of money, and the vaft fums bequeatneH^ 

 being the effeds of celibacy, they are all well endowed and fupported ; befides which, 

 there are two hofpitals for the fick, poor, and difabled, and where feveral of our men 

 were kindly looked after. The length of the city, from north to fouth, is two miles,, 

 the breadth one and an half; the wall, with the river, making a circumference of fix 

 miles. On the eaft part of the ftream lies the other part of the city, being joined by 

 a very handfome ftonc bridge of feven arches. I computed that there were 60 or 

 70,000 perfons in Lima, all forts and colours included ; and I do not wonder at any 

 multiplication in a city, which is the centre of fo much affluence and pleafure ; for, 

 befides the natural increafe of the inhabitants, all fnips that trade that way, whether 

 private or public, generally leave fome deferters, who chufe to ftay behind, from the 

 encouragement all white faces meet with. Of all parts of the world, the people here 

 are moft expenfive in their habit. The men drefs as they do in England, their coats 

 being either of filk, or fine Englilh cloth, and hair camlets, embroidered, or laced 

 with gold and filver ; and their waiftcoats commonly the beft brocades. The women 

 never wear hoops or ftays, only a ftitched holland jacket next their fhifts. They gene- 

 rally throw over their fhoulders a fquare piece of fwan-fkin flannel, entirely covered 

 with Flanders lace ; befides the filver or gold lace round the petticoat. When they 

 walk out, the Creolian women are veiled, but not the Mulatto; and, till the age of 

 thirty or forty, they wear no head<loaths, their hair being tied behind with fine, 



ribbands* 



