226 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



kinds of vegetables and fruits — Lima is never without fruit 

 of one sort or another — shaded by mats propped up by reeds, 

 which is the only accommodation prepared. Plere you meet 

 more frequently than in any other part of the city, begging 

 friars, carrying an image of the virgin, whose kisses they sell 

 at a real each; and sometimes an orange or potato will buy 

 one. On the back of the silver case which holds the picture, 

 is inscribed the advertisement of some one indulgence to be 

 obtained by kissing it and bestowing alms. 



The country around Lima is beautifully fertile, and by irri- 

 gation yields every variety of fruit and vegetable. The broad 

 valley of Lurigancho, which is in sight from the walls, sup- 

 plies the market with the greatest abundance. 



Amongst the vegetables are several varieties of peas and 

 beans; quinoa, a small seed resembling millet; lentils, toma- 

 toes, carrots, cucumbers, yuca (a long fusiform root), cabbages, 

 cauliflowers, egg plants, lettuce, celery (which grows wild in 

 many parts of the country), peppers, camotes or sweet pota- 

 toes, and two kinds of potatoes ; one known by the term 

 Irish, and another of a similar kind, but yellow as an orange, 

 and far superior to the first. It grows only on the mountains; 

 many trials have been made to transplant it to the valleys and 

 to Chile, but it was found to degenerate in a very short time. 

 The potato grows wild in many parts both of Peru and Chile; 

 numerous roots have been taken from the top of the island of 

 San Lorenzo. 



The principal fruits are cherimoyas, limas or sweet lemons, 

 sour lemons, limes, pine apples, oranges, two kinds of grapes, 

 pomegranates, granadillas, plantains, bananas, a variety of 

 melons, strawberries, which grow very large, lucumas, tunos, 

 figs (two crops), paltas, besides apples, peaches, pears, &c. 



The cherimoya {annona squamosa) is esteemed among the 

 best of fruits. It grows from two to six inches in diameter, 

 and is of a conoidal shape, with a depression in the centre of 

 its base where the stem is attached. Externally it is dark 

 green, and has a loricate or scale-like surface; internally it is 

 a cream w^hite. It contains a centre core, with a number of 

 black seeds about five lines long ranged around it. The pulp. 



