NOTICES OF PERU. 



339 



constantly rolling and foaming with great violence. About a 

 quarter of a mile to the north is the anchorage, which is pretty 

 good, though but slightly protected against the prevailing 

 winds. 



In the afternoon, we landed at the mole and breakwater, 

 which has been built within the last few years.* It has two 

 or three flights of steps for embarking, and its top is sur- 

 rounded by a wooden rail and benches, which in the evening 

 are the resort of the inhabitants of the town. At the outer 

 end, is a small box to shelter the custom house officers, who 

 are constantly on the alert to detect and prevent smuggling. 

 On the sides of this watch tower were pasted several written 

 notices; one ordered, that no boat should land or leave the 

 mole before sunrise, nor after eight o'clock at night, and it for- 

 bade any person to go afloat at any time without a written per- 

 mission from the captain of the port, or the head of the custom 

 house; nor are balsas to be afloat either before sunrise or after 

 ^ sunset. Another was the quarantine regulation to be enforced 

 against all vessels from Chile, to prevent the introduction of 

 scarlet fever. 



We found the streets intersecting each other at right angles, 

 but narrow and dusty, hot and dirty. In our walk over the 

 whole town, we met now and then a negro, or a half naked 

 child playing in the dirt. In one street we passed a house, in 

 which was a small school. We heard a dozen ragged children, 

 of various castes., color, sex, and age, standing round the mis- 

 tress, who was seated on the floor, singing at the top of their 

 voices, in a nasal tone, a set of aves, which appeared to form 

 the conclusion of the afternoon exercises. 



On the 9th November 1831, nearly the whole place was 

 shaken down by an earthquake. The streets seemed desolate, 

 and many of the houses were in ruins or undergoing repair. 

 Most of the buildings are but one story high, and some have 

 flat roofs, and others have them made of adobes and arched. 



* The landing is dangerous for those who are not acquainted with the very 

 tiarrow channel, which is surrounded by sunken rocks and breakers. 



