Chap. I. 
Captain B e t a g h. 
with, might have revenged it on fome of their Prifoners. 
But it is to little Purpofe to employ one’s Thoughts in 
attempting to difcover the Motives of an Ad of Spanijh 
Policy, fince, whatever thofe Motives were, the Ad in 
itfelf was compaffionate and good. 
7. The Dominions, which the Spaniards poffefs in Ame- 
rica, are fo large, and fo valuable, that there is no Doubt, 
if they were properly governed, they might render that 
Monarchy equally formidable in Europe , and the Indies. 
The long Stay I made in Peru , the prefent State of which 
there are few Opportunities of knowing in this Part of the 
World, afforded me the Means of examining with Leifure 
and Attention their Manner of Living, the Form of their 
Government, the Nature of their Amufements and Diver- 
lions, which, in this Country, take place of Bufinefs, and 
furnifhed me with many Opportunities of inquiring into 
thofe Things very minutely, which did not fall immediately 
under my Obfervation as an Eye-witnefs : And of thefe I 
fhall endeavour to give the Reader as clear, as diftind, and 
as accurate an Account, as is in my Power, with the greateft 
Regard to Truth, and conftantly diftinguifhing between 
what fell immediately under my Knowledge, and what was 
derived to me by the Information of others. This was cer- 
tainly the belt Ufe I could make of that Leifure I enjoyed, 
while a Prifoner in the Hands of the Spaniards -, and may 
poffibly contribute more to the Service of my Country, than 
if I had employed myfelf in Privateering on the Coaft. I 
fhall begin with the Defcription of the Place, where I fpent 
molt Part of my Time, and which, as it is the Centre of 
the Spanijh Government in thefe Parts, enabled me to gain 
a greater Infight into their Affairs, than if I had paffed my 
Days in any of their Ports, or in an inland City, lefs fre- 
quented. The Liberty I was allowed, and the kind Ufage 
I received, made this Hill the more eafy ; and therefore it 
may be depended upon, that what I offer the World is a 
fair and genuine Representation of Matters of Fad, and 
not a fine-fpun Story, framed from Conjecture and Hear- 
fay. If, after all, the wide Difference between the Man- 
ners of thefe People and thofe in the Northern Part of Eu- 
rope, fhould give it an Air of Extravagance, I mult defire 
the Reader to refled, that this is not owing to me, but to 
the SubjeCt. A Man, who undertakes to defcribe Things 
he has feen, muff defcribe them as they are, without Re- 
gard to the Appearance they may make in the Eyes of 
others. But to come to the Point: The great and rich 
City of Lima is the Metropolis of Peru, and the Seat of an 
Archbifhop. It is a regular-built City, the Streets all ft rait 
and fpacious ; fo that you go through it any Way, with- 
out turning a Corner. It is compofed of little Squares, 
like St. lago, the Capital of Chili ; which was copied from 
this. It ftands in an open Yale, having only a gentle Stream 
to water it, and which divides it, as the Thames does Lon- 
don from Southwark , allowing for the great Difproportion. 
The Port of Lima is at Calao , feven Miles below it. The 
Houfes are only one Story high, of twelve or fourteen Feet, 
becaufe of the frequent Earthquakes in that Country. There 
are about eight Parifhes, three Colleges for Students, twenty- 
eight Monafteries of Friers, and thirteen Monafteries of 
Nuns ; fo that the Religious take up a fourth Part of the 
City. However, by the quick Flow of Money, and the 
vaft Sums beqeathed, being the EffeCts of Celibacy, they 
are all well endowed and fupported ; befides which, there 
are two Hofpitals for the Sick, Poor, and Difabled, and 
where feveral of our Men were kindly looked after. The 
Length of the City, from North to South, is two Miles, 
the Breadth one and an half, the Wall, with the River, 
making a Circumference of fix Miles. On the Eaft Part 
of the Stream lies the other Part of the City, being joined 
by a very handfome Stone Bridge of feven Arches. I com- 
puted that there were 60 or 70,000 Perfons in Lima, all 
Sorts and Colours included ; and I do not wonder at any 
Multiplication in a City, which is the Centre of fo much 
Affluence and Pleafure ; for, befides the natural Increafe of 
the Inhabitants, all Ships that trade that Way, whether 
private or public, generally leave fome Deferters, who chule 
to ffay behind, from the Encouragement all white Faces 
meet with. Of all Parts of the World, the People here are 
moft expenftve in their Habit. The Men drefs as they do 
in England , their Coats being either of Silk, or fine Englijh 
Cloth, and Hair Camlets, Embroidered, or laced with 
Gold and Silver ; and their Waiftcoats commonly the beft 
Brocades. The Women never wear Hoops or Stays, only 
a ftitched Holland Jacket next their Shifts. They gene- 
rally throw over their Shoulders a fquare Piece of Swan-fkin 
Flannel, intirely covered with Flanders Lace ; befides the 
Silver or Gold Lace round the Petticoat, When they walk 
out, the Creolian Women are veiled, but not the Mulatto ; 
and, till the Age of thirty or forty, they wear no Head- 
cloaths, their Hair being tied behind with fine Ribbans ;■ 
But the Pride of the Sex appears chiefly in Mechlin and 
Brujfels Lace, with which they trim their Linen in a moft 
extravagant Manner, not omitting their Sheets and Pillows, 
befides the outward Covering of the Mantle aforefaid. Their 
Linen is doubly bordered with it, Top and Bottom, with 
Ruffles of four or five Furbelows hanging down to the Knee. 
Then, as to Pearls and precious Stones, which they wear in 
Rings, and Bracelets for the Neck and Arms, they are very 
extravagant, tho’ the Value is hardly equal to the Shew they 
make. 
8. The Viceroy has an handfome Palace in the great 
Quadrangle of the City, which I take to be near as large 
as Lincoln' s- Inn-Fields, London. His Salary is ten thoufand 
Pounds a Year ; and his Perquifites double that Sum : And 
though his Government expires at three, four or five Y ears 
End, as the King pleafes, yet, it is fuppofed, he makes a 
good Fortune for Life ; for he has all Places in his Gift, 
both in the Government and Army, throughout Peru, ex- 
cept particular Perfons are lent or nominated by the King. 
The judicial Court confifts of twelve Judges, not to men- 
tion the inferior Officers, Counfel, and Solicitors : Here 
all Caufes fhould come to be decided, but they are too of- 
ten determined beforehand in Favour of the Party who gives 
moft Money ; and tho’ thefe vaft Dominions abound in 
Riches, yet there is not abundance of W ork for the Lawyers, 
becaufe the Statutes are few and plain, which is certainly 
happier than a Multitude of Laws explaining one another, 
till they are fo intricate, that the Iffue of a Caufe depends 
more upon the Craft of a Solicitor and Advocate, than the 
Truth of the Cafe. Befides all this, a Multiplication of 
Laws begets an Infinity of Attorneys and Counfellors, who 
live high and great upon the Diftreffes of other People, 
and as often argue a Man out of his Right as into it. Thefe 
Plardfhips are paft retrieving ; becaufe every Magiftrate 
knows his Reign to be but fhort, and, if he don’t make a 
Fortune he is laughed at ; fo that they wink one at an- 
other ; and the great Diftance between Peru and Spain, is 
a Reafon the King’s Orders are feldom regarded, being two 
Years going backward and forward ; whence arife many 
clandeftine Doings ; for, according to Law, the King 
fhould have a twentieth Part of the Gold, and a fifth Part 
of all Silver ; but there are vaft Quantities that never pay 
Duty, carried privately over the Continent the North Way, 
as well as the South, by trading Ships ; and tho’ there are 
prodigious Sums allowed for the Militia, Garifons, ard 
Repairs of Fortifications, yet it is not One-half applied : 
From all which it is eafy to imagine, what immenfe Reve- 
nues would come to the Treafury at Madrid, if his Catho- 
lic Majefty was but faithfully ferved. 
The Country in Peru is naturally fubjed to Earthquakes ; 
at Lima they had two great ones about fifty Years ago, 
which overturned Houfes, Churches, and Convents ; and, 
in the Reign of Charlesll. the late King of Spain, there was 
an Earthquake near the Equinodial Line, that lifted up whole 
Fields, and carried them feveral Miles off : Small Shocks 
are often felt without doing any Harm ; and I have been 
two or three times called out of Bed when fuch a thing has 
happened, tho’ we have heard no more of it •, but, upon 
thefe Occafions, the Bells always toll to Prayers. Notwith- 
ftanding this Country, efpecially nigh the Coaft, has fuf- 
fered much by Earthquakes, yet their Churches are lofty 
enough, and neatly built : That Part of their Architedure, 
which requires moft Strength, is generally finifhed with 
burnt Bricks ; but their Houfes are all built with Bambo, 
Canes, and Bricks, dried only by the Weather, which are 
durable enough, becaufe it never rains : The Covering 
is a Matting with Afhes upon it, to keep out the Dews, 
which is all the Wet they have. The fmall River of Lima 
is moftly Snow-water, defending from the neighbouring 
4 Mown? 
