PERU. 
247 
A hospital is attached to this church. A novel sort of hearse was 
seen employed here, with four drawers as temporary coffins. 
HOSPITAL HEARSE. 
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 fre- 
quent 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. 
Some of the piles consist of only one kind, but they are generally all 
mixed together. 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 offi- 
ciated 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 customers. 
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 had 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, 
cherimoyers, pomegranates, paltas, plantains, bananas, papaws, grana- 
dillas, apples, figs, and ananas. 
