i PREFACE. 



of the petticoat in some of the female figures, may, with other 

 pecuharities of a similar kind, be thus explained. 



It would be to anticipate the pleasure of the reader, whose 

 industry, in the agreeable task of exploring what may be in a 

 manner considered as a terra incognita^ is not to be questioned, 

 to point out to his notice all the curious and novel informa- 

 tion he will obtain, by a perusal of the sheets now respe6tfully 

 submitted to him. There are some leading points, however, 

 on which it may not be inexpedient to touch in this Preface. 

 One of these is, the extraordinary depopulation of the Indian 

 tribes, since the conquest : from upwards of eight millions of 

 souls, at which they were computed in 1551, they have been 

 reduced to little more than half a million. They are, not- 

 withstanding, absolutely necessary to the prosperity of the 

 mines, which they alone are capable of working, and which 

 have progressively fallen off in their produce, in a nearly simi- 

 lar ratio. A milder and better policy has been latterly adopted 

 towards these unfortunate victims of Spanish ambition, and 

 Spanish cupidity. Would that this observation could be made 

 to apply to the condition of the negroes, whose lot in Peru 

 appears to be rigorous, beyond any example that has been 

 elsewhere furnished ! 



Natural history has been, within the last few years, en- 

 riched 



