186 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



The main street, following the course of the beach, is about 

 a quarter of a mile long, and has been lately paved. The houses 

 are built of " adobes,'^ with a second story made of cane wick- 

 er work, plastered with mud, and whitewashed. The roofs are 

 all flat; also of wicker work, and plastered with mud. These 

 are kept clean in some instances as promenades, but more fre- 

 quently become receptacles for all kinds of family refuse. This 

 light architecture is used, because it is less expensive, and less 

 dangerous during earthquakes. At the northern end of the 

 street are a number of huts, constructed of mats, tenanted by 

 fishermen, who supply the markets of Callao and Lima with 

 fish ; this part of the town is called the pescadores. 



Along this street are many stores, billiard rooms, pulperias, 

 or tippling shops, which are rendezvous for idle sailors, negroes, 

 and the lowest order of the population. These places are the 

 scenes of all manner of vice ; gambling, drunkenness, and the 

 natural consequents, quarrels, and sometimes even murder. At 

 night the sounds of bacchanalian mirth, and drunken uproar, 

 are heard till a very late hour. To the eastward several streets 

 have lately sprung up. The houses are small, but comparative- 

 ly commodious ; at almost every door is tied by a leg, a game 

 cock or two, crowing and scratching all day long; — fighting 

 cocks is a very favorite and general amusement with all the in- 

 habitants. 



The market place consists of an open square, in which are 

 erected a few booths for butcher's meat and vegetables. The 

 market women, mostly Indians and mulattoes, spread out their 

 fruits and vegetables on mats or ponchos, on the ground, and 

 separate them into little parcels, worth a real each. Potatoes 

 are sold at from three to eight for a real eggs at from three 



Gold. 



* Coins of Peru. 



' Onza, equal to $17 00 



Media Onza, do. 8 50 



Doblon, do. 4 25 



Escudo, do. 2 12^ 



^ Escudillo, do. 1 



