NOTICES OF PERU. 



291 



The next exhibition was rather ludicrous. When the door 

 was opened, a harlequin attired negro, with his face smeared 

 with blue and white, entered the arena mounted on a bull's 

 back. His only means of retaining his seat was by holding fast 

 to a piece of wood lashed across his horns. His task was an 

 arduous one, for the bull reared and plunged in every possible 

 manner, to free himself from his encumbrance; but the rider 

 was encouraged to hold fast, as the bull was his reward, if he 

 succeeded in safely reaching the middle of the ring. This scene 

 afforded a great deal of mirth, and the negro won the bull, after 

 several very narrow escapes from being thrown. 



The parting rays of the setting sun had begun to tinge the 

 snowy peaks of the Cordillera, which seemed the signal for 

 leaving. The president and suite left their box, and the fash- 

 ionables in different parts of the circle followed his example. 



A guard of about fifty horsemen, armed with sabres and 

 lances, was formed round the president's carriage, and a num- 

 ber of officers crowded to attend him from the door of the 

 plaza. The carriage was of European manufacture, with silver 

 mountings, and drawn by four splendid black horses. General 

 Gamarra soon made his appearance, hat in hand. He is tall, 

 rather thin, of a swarthy complexion, black eyes, deeply sunk 

 in their sockets, heavy brow, black whiskers and mustaches, 

 and possesses a courteous military air. He wore a general's uni- 

 form of blue deeply embroidered in gold, and red pantaloons 

 with broad gold lace down the outer seams. Over his feet 

 were drawn horseman's boots rising above the knee, armed 

 with large gold spurs. His cocked hat was edged with white 

 feathers and crowned with three ostrich plumes, arranged in 

 the succession of the colors in the flag — white between red. 

 When he mounted his seat, the officers threw themselves into 

 their saddles, and the coach flew through the alameda followed 

 by the guard at full gallop, the pennons of their lances flutter- 

 ing in the air. Their dress is a white jacket and red panta- 

 loons, cut full about the hips and narrow at the bottom. The 

 cap is blue cloth, with a long bag-like top of red terminating 

 in a tassel, that hangs over one side. Every one wore large 

 mustaches. 



