Cathedral of Lima. 407 



feet above the sea. A bronze fountain within a pretty lit- 

 tle floral garden marks the centre. The cathedral stands 

 on the east side, the most imposing modern structure in 

 Peru. The corner-stone was laid by Pizarro twelve days 

 after he had founded the city. The bones of the savage 

 conqueror, reported to be somewhere in the crypt, were 

 more likely buried in the Sa. Maria de la Concepcion of 

 his native Trujillo. The grand altar is adorned with sev- 

 en silver columns twelve feet higli, and surmounted by a 

 silver crown. During my visit, the niches in the fine fa- 

 9ade were receiving statuary for the first time. The two 

 towers, apparently of stone, are of stuccoed wicker-work, 

 and sway like a reed during an earthquake. Over the 

 iron door are the words, Panis angelorum mysterium 

 fidei, which must be a double mystery to the poor Indian, 

 who never studied Latin, and never ate bread. 



On the north side of the Plaza, surrounded by the 

 wretched stalls of the haberdashers, is what Limenians call, 

 with a blush, the Government Palace, once the residence 

 of the hated viceroj-s. The other two sides are occupied 

 by arcades lined with shops (of foreign goods), and afford- 

 ing a favorite promenade. At evening, the crowd of ev- 

 ery rank and fashion loitering in the illuminated arcades, 

 the band playing on the cathedral steps, and the fine turn- 

 outs, equal to those of Central Park, dashing around the 

 Plaza, make up a very attractive scene. On a dirty alley, 

 leading from the south side of the Grand Plaza, stands the 

 house in which Pizarro was assassinated. The Plaza de 

 la Independencia contains an equestrian statue of Bolivar ; 

 fronting which is the Senate House of infamous memory 

 — once the seat of the Inquisition. Near-by is the Cham- 

 ber of Deputies, 300 years old, formerly the Koyal Uni- 

 versity of San Marcos, whose walls and ceiling show the 

 most elaborately carved wood-works. 



