NOTICES OP PERU. 



225 



produced so much fear in the beast, that, all restive qualities 

 being radically removed, he has become quite an amiable crea- 

 ture. Droves of them move through the streets in long files, 

 sometimes laden with bars of silver from the mines of Pasco, 

 having their heads tied to the tails of those that precede them. 

 In the morning, the baker's mule, with two great panniers of 

 dry hide, filled with rolls, and the baker mounted high on top, 

 is seen going from door to door. 



At the corners of some streets, a little remote from the plaza, 

 are occasionally met with, great heaps of cigar stumps, spread 

 out for sale on white cloths — a cigar is not the worse in Lima 

 for being partly smoked by a friend. 



The decay of Lima is but too evident ; we see some of the 

 largest houses, or rather their ruins, occupied by pulperias, and 

 before the doors, " ollas" of various stews, frittering over pans 

 of coals. These tippling shops, in the afternoon and at night, 

 become scenes of fandangos, dissipation, and brawls of every 

 kind. Though the streets are perambulated by watchmen 

 who cry the half hour after eight o'clock, they are of but little 

 use. Besides, there is a military police or guard, distributed 

 in various parts of the city, and when passing any of the posts 

 after nine o'clock at night, the sentinel hails you with ^'Quien 

 vive ?" — for whom ? you answer 'Ma patria!" — the countr}^; 

 again he inquires, "Que gente ?" — what sort of people ? you 

 answer, gente de paz!" — people of peace, and you are per- 

 mitted to pass on. 



After ten o'clock at night the streets are very dark, unless 

 when the moon shines. About that hour the candles in the 

 great lanterns, hung over each door-way by requisition of the 

 law, burn out, and are not replaced; as this is the only means of 

 lighting the streets, they become gloomy after that hour, and 

 hence it is customary for persons walking late at night, to be 

 preceded by a servant with a lantern. Even this precaution 

 is not always sufficient to save the passenger from the uncon- 

 genial shovvers which are occasionally hurled from the balco- 

 nies, though one should cry, gardez Peau! 



The market is near the convent of San Francisco. Along 

 the street, spread upon the ground, there is a display of all 

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