388 



CHARLES DARWIN 



were again hostile to each other. The other day, at the An- 

 niversary of the Independence, high mass was performed, the 

 President partaking of the sacrament: during the Te Deum 

 laudamus, instead of each regiment displaying the Peruvian 

 flag, a black one with death's head was unfurled. Imagine 

 a government under which such a scene could be ordered, on 

 such an occasion, to be typical of their determination of 

 fighting to death ! This state of affairs happened at a time 

 very unfortunately for me, as I was precluded from taking 

 any excursions much beyond the limits of the town. The 

 barren island of St. Lorenzo, which forms the harbour, was 

 nearly the only place where one could walk securely. The 

 upper part, which is upwards of iooo feet in height, during 

 this season of the year (winter), comes within the lower 

 limit of the clouds ; and in consequence, an abundant crypto- 

 gamic vegetation, and a few flowers cover the summit. On 

 the hills near Lima, at a height but little greater, the ground 

 is carpeted with moss, and beds of beautiful yellow lilies, 

 called Amancaes. This indicates a very much greater de- 

 gree of humidity, than at a corresponding height at Iquique. 

 Proceeding northward of Lima, the climate becomes damper, 

 till on the banks of the Guayaquil, nearly under the equator, 

 we find the most luxuriant forests. The change, however, 

 from the sterile coast of Peru to that fertile land is described 

 as taking place rather abruptly in the latitude of Cape Blan- 

 co, two degrees south of Guayaquil. 



Callao is a filthy, ill-built, small seaport. The inhabitants, 

 both here and at Lima, present every imaginable shade of 

 mixture, between European, Negro, and Indian blood. They 

 appear a depraved, drunken set of people. The atmosphere 

 is loaded with foul smells, and that peculiar one, which may 

 be perceived in almost every town within the tropics, was 

 here very strong. The fortress, which withstood Lord Coch- 

 rane's long siege, has an imposing appearance. But the 

 President, during our stay, sold the brass guns, and pro- 

 ceeded to dismantle parts of it. The reason assigned was, 

 that he had not an officer to whom he could trust so im- 

 portant a charge. He himself had good reason for thinking 

 so, as he had obtained the presidentship by rebelling while 

 in charge of this same fortress. After we left South Amer- 



