NOTICES OP PERU. 



377 



sible even in Peru. The conversation between the alcalde and 

 the vigilante," was upon the best mode of keeping securely 

 a prisoner, who had murdered his patron under most aggravated 

 circumstances. The only plan which occurred to them, was to 

 mount guard constantly before the door, because manacles or 

 shackles they had none. Curiosity led me to look a second time 

 in the cdrcel, to see the prisoner, who, I concluded, was the de- 

 jected looking man sitting against the wall, but to my astonish- 

 ment I was told that the murderer was he who was leaning 

 his chin against the grated door. I instinctively drew back to 

 gaze upon the wretch; he smiled, and extending his hand 

 through the door, said, " de me un real para comprar cigarros^' 

 — which, with tone and manner taken into account, translated^ 

 is, *'give me a real to buy cigars, and be d d to you !" 



About two months after this event, I was passing through 

 the streets of the capital, and was attracted by a mulatto, walk- 

 ing slowly along, tolling a little table bell in one hand, and 

 carrying a silver plate in the other, containing several small 

 pieces of money. I asked him what it meant. He replied, that 

 he was collecting alms to pay for misas and the mortage" of 

 a man who was '^in capilla," and who was to be shot at ten 

 o'clock. A prisoner is said to be "in capilla," when he is se- 

 parated, after being sentenced, from the rest of the prisoners in 

 the cdrcel, and only allowed communication with his immediate 

 friends, and confessor. 



I hastened to the plaza to witness the execution, the manner 

 of which was almost new to me. The portdles presented their 

 usual appearance. A hollow square of troops was drawn up 

 just in front of the Bishop's palace, resting on their arms, and 

 some forty or fifty spectators, mostly idle boys or negroes, 

 were standing around. On a nearer approach, I discovered, at 

 one end of the hollow square, an old negro with a grizzled 

 head, dressed in a short jacket, and full bottomed bragas open 

 at the knee, standing upon one leg, while the other crossed it 

 and rested the toe upon the ground ; his left hand grasped the 

 top of a square post planted in the ground, having a small 

 board about two feet high nailed in front of it, and his right 

 hung by his side, holding a white handkerchief folded like a 

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