PERU. 275 



A town officer was seen strutting with a spear about the public square, 

 calling all the women out to come and sweep it. They soon made 

 their appearance, and were not long in creating a prodigious dust. 

 They swept the dirt up into small heaps ; then taking their coarse 

 shawls from their shoulders, they spread them upon the ground and 

 put the dirt they had collected into them, to be carried away. 



The Chilian officers called upon our gentlemen with offers of service, 

 and were very civil and obliging. 



At Obrajillo it was said that the wealthy men of the place kept very 

 quiet, being much alarmed at the presence of the Chilians. 



The guides now demanded a settlement, but requested their money 

 might be kept, for them until the party reached Lima, as they certainly 

 would be robbed if they took it themselves. This incident proves how 

 little security there is in this country, for persons of any class having 

 any thing valuable about them. 



The preparations that had been made in the town were for a 

 festival, and the guides were disinclined to start for Lima. A little 

 bribery, however, and reminding them that one of the greatest feasts 

 in the Catholic church, that of Corpus Christi, was near at hand, 

 induced them to go forward. 



On their way from Obrajillo, which they left at an early hour, they 

 met a bridal party on horseback. The bridegroom's hat and person 

 were decorated with carnations and pinks ; the bride and bridesmaid 

 carried the same flowers, which they presented to our gentlemen in 

 passing. After a hard day's ride they reached Taso, and took up 

 their quarters in the porch of the posthouse ; the landlord and post- 

 master's absence was now accounted for, by saying that he had gone 

 to church, but would soon be back ; he of course did not come, nor 

 was he expected by our gentlemen. They in consequence fared badly, 

 for they had nothing to eat. They found here a gentleman who had 

 been robbed the day before, by three persons in masks ; they had 

 treated him with great politeness, only proposing exchanges to his 

 disadvantage; he had nothing else to complain of; they took his 

 purse, watch, spurs, and a drink of his brandy. Much to their sur- 

 prise, the guides, who had been so scrupulous about their money, 

 showed no signs of alarm. A new difficulty arose with them : they 

 had been informed that a conscription was going on, and they were 

 afraid to proceed, lest they should lose their liberty ; but the assurance 

 that they would be protected while with the party, satisfied them. 



The frequency of murder, highway robbery, and a constant resort to 

 the cuchillo, has not been exaggerated in the accounts of Lower Peru. 



On the morning of the 27th they again set out, having prepared 



