NOTICES OF PERU. 



191 



road, were planted two or three posts, around which were offal 

 and a number of dogs, with other appearances marking the 

 spot where beef is slaughtered for the market. 



After we had passed the women washing at the lock of the 

 canal, the first figures we saw were two soldiers on foot, mak- 

 ing their way towards Cailao. They wore tall, compressed, 

 blue cloth caps, with red bands and without vizier, coarse gray 

 pantaloons, made full, resembling the dress worn in some of 

 our state prisons, and short blue jackets. Their complexion 

 was dark mulatto. They trudged along the canal, barefoot, 

 with a bundle hanging on a stick over the shoulder, appearing 

 like men fatigued from a long march. The next object that 

 engaged our attention was a cross, erected on a square pedestal, 

 to the right of the road, and about halfway between Bellavista 

 and Callao, which is said to mark the spot where the sea reach- 

 ed in the great earthquake of 1746 ; and some add, that a fri- 

 gate was thrown there at the time by the force of the waves. 

 A few years since, Bellavista was a flourishing village. It was 

 built in 1747, and intended to be the port, but in the course 

 of time, the terror caused by the great earthquake wore away, 

 and the present Callao grew up. This checked the improve- 

 ment of Bellavista, Frequent earthquakes, the bombardings 

 from the castle, its alternate possession by the royalist and pa- 

 triot troops, during the war of the revolution, have left it a 

 heap of ruins, which shelter some few Indian and negro fa-, 

 milies. Between Bellavista and the cross just mentioned, are ' 

 the remains of a breast work, thrown up and defended by the 

 patriots when General Rodil was in possession of the castles. 



Presently we met a drove of mules, laden with silver, and 

 guarded by a half dozen soldiers — some of African, and others 

 of Indian origin. This treasure, amounting to eighty thousand 

 dollars, was about being shipped to England. Close after 

 them came a troop of asses, almost completely hidden in stacks 

 of green alfalfa* — a species of trefoil highly nutritious to horses 

 — aptly enough compared to the moving of "Birnam wood." 

 On the left, we came up to La Iglesia de las Palmas — the 



* Mendicago satwa oibotsmsts. 



