754 
PERU. 
part are Indians. It is the fee of a bifhop, contains a 
. cathedral, a univerfity well endowed, and feveral churches 
and convents. There is no other place in the inten¬ 
dency meriting the name of a town, as three-fourths of 
the inhabitants are either occupied in cultivation or in 
pafturage. 
6. The whole of the intendency of Guancavelica, or 
Huancavelica, is fituated in the mountains in a climate 
feverely cold, and is thinly peopled. The chief value of 
this province is derived from the important mines of 
quickfilver which it contains. The celebrated mine of 
Santa Barbara is 13,800 feet above the level of the fea. 
In the procefs of excavating it, three (lories of galleries, 
one over the other, have been conflrufted, which pene¬ 
trate the mountain in different diredtions, accordingas the 
veins of the mineral are found to run. The lowed of 
thefe was found to contain red and yellow fulphureted 
arfenic, which, proving fatal to many of the labourers, 
was forbidden to be worked. The chief produce of the 
mine has been obtained in the form of cinnabar, from 
which, by didillation, the mercury is extracted at the 
rate of one pound of mercury from every fifty pounds of 
cinnabar. But the top of the mine has partly fallen, and 
has intercepted all communication with the interior. 
The capital, which gives name to this intendency, is in 
fouth-latitude i2°45', and weft longitude 74 0 46'. It 
was, when the mine was a< 5 fively worked, a populous 
place, but at prefent contains only 5000 inhabitants. It 
is built almoll wholly of tufa, which is found in abun¬ 
dance in its vicinity. There are fcarcely any places that 
deferve to be called towns ; as the few inhabitants are 
fcattered at great didances from each other in thinly- 
peopled villages or hamlets. 
7. The intendency of Tarma is chiefly fituated on the 
Andes, and generally partakes of the feverity of climate 
which lofty elevation creates. The fmall portion of it 
which is on the plain yields wine; but the great portion 
of the inhabitants are fupplied with animal and vegetable 
food from the mountainous regions, which, at a moderate 
height, produce corn and potatoes, and at a greater 
elevation breed confiderable flocks and herds. The 
mines mod produdfive of filverare within this intendency. 
The mod eminent are thofe of Lauricocha, or, more 
properly called, colledlively, the Mines of Pafco. Nearly 
one-half of the filver which Peru yields is extracted 
from thefe mines. They are at an elevation of 13,000 
feet above the fea. The veins of the mineral are near the 
furface, the fhafts being only from 90 to 400 feet in 
depth; the metalliferous bed is dated to be more than 
15,000 feet in length, and upwards of 7000 in breadth, 
and is capable of yielding more filver than any even of 
the mines of Mexico. 
The favourable circumdances attending thefe mines, 
and the belief, that, if the water could be cleared by a 
fleam-engine, the profits w'ould be immenfe, induced a 
party of Engliflimen to convey a powerful engine to the 
fpot. After many interruptions and much delay, it at 
lad reached thefe mines ; but the country was in too 
turbulent a ftate to admit of the operations being carried 
on; which, with the unpopularity attached to the under¬ 
taking, from fuppofing it w'ould leflen the employment 
of labourers, has caufed it to mifcarry; and the water has 
fo gained, that the produce has declined very much fince 
the commencement of the civil wars. 
The greatefl portion of the gold found in Peru is taken 
from the mines of Pataz, and of Huilies, in this province. 
Tarma, the city which gives its name to the intendency, 
is in ii° 35' fouth latitude, and 75 0 17' wed longitude. 
It contains about 5500 inhabitants, fome of whom find 
employment in making baize. No other place contains 
fo many as 1000 people. 
The Peruvians feem to have degenerated fince their 
fubjedfion. They appear timid, difpirited, and melan¬ 
choly in their temperament; but fevere and rigid in the 
exercife of their authority; wonderfully indifferent to 
the general concerns of life, and neither anxious nor 
careful to avoid death. They dand in awe of their white 
mafters, but fecretly diflike and fluin their fociety. They 
are reputed to be of a didrudful difpofition; and, though 
robud, and capable of enduring great fatigue, exceflively 
indolent. Their habitations are deditute of every con¬ 
venience and accommodation, and very filthy. Their 
drefs is poor and mean; their food coarfe and fcanty; 
and their greated gratification feems to be an exceflive 
indulgence in the ufe of fpirituous liquors. They 
obferve with docility the external rites and ceremonies of 
the Catholic w'orfliip, though it is faid they indulge in 
fecret an attachment to the ancient fuperditions of their 
nation. 
As to the manners of poli/hed fociety in Peru, we are 
told, that at the theatre at Lima the mod falhionable 
ladies dand up in the front boxes, and light their fegars 
by the chandeliers; fo that the houfe is continually filled 
with fmoke. 
The country is obferved to abound more in women 
than in men, which is fomewhat remarkable, as thofe 
caufes which induce men to leave their country, as 
travelling, commerce, and war, naturallybring over more 
men from Europe than women. But there are many 
families in which there are a number of daughters, 
without one fon among them.. The women enjoy a 
better date of health than the men, which may be owing 
in fome meafure to the climate, and more particularly 
to the early intemperance and voluptuoufnefs of the 
other fex. 
There is no malady peculiar to thefe countries, and 
thofe of our climate feldom prevail there. An European 
veffel, however, in 1719, brought thither an epidemic 
diforder, which carried off a great number of Spaniards 
and Mudees, and above 200,000 Indians. A more fatal 
prefent dill, which thefe people have received in exchange 
for their gold, is the fmall-pox. It fliowed itfelf here, for 
the fird time, in the year 1 588 ; and has not failed fince 
to make, at intervals, inexpreflible ravages. But the 
practice of vaccination has at length been extended to 
them. 
The Creoles are well made, of a proper ftature, and of 
a lively and agreeable countenance. The Medizos are 
alfo in general well made, often taller than the ordinary 
fize, very robud, and have an agreeable air. The Indians, 
both men and women, are commonly low of dature, 
though drong and well-proportioned; but more natural 
defeats are to be found among them than in any of the 
red. Some are remarkably fhort, fome idiots, dumb, or 
blind. Their hair is generally thick and long, which 
they wear loofeon their fhoulders; but the Indian women 
plait theirs behind with a ribbon, and cut that before a 
little above the eyebrows, from one ear to the other. 
The greated difgrace that can be offered to an Indian of 
either fex is to cut ofF their hair; for whatever corporal 
puniflrment their mafters think proper to inflidt on them, 
they bear with patience; but this affront they never 
forgive; and accordingly the government has interpofed, 
and limited this punifhment to the mod enormous crimes. 
The colour of" the hair is generally a deep black : it is 
lank, harfh, and as coarfe as that of a hcrfe. On the 
contrary, the male Medizos, in order to didinguifli 
themfelves from the Indians, cut off" their hair; but the 
females do not adopt that cudom. 
Rum is commonly drunk here by perfons of all ranks, 
but their favourite liquor is brandy. The diforders ari- 
fing from the exceflive ufe of fpirituous liquors are chiefly 
feen among the Medizos ; and the lower clafs of women, 
both among the Creoles and Meftizos, are alfo extremely 
addicted to the fame fpecies of debauchery. Another 
liquor much ufed in this country is mate, which is made 
of an herb known in all thefe parts of America by the 
name of Paraguay, as being the produce of that" country. 
Some of it is put into a calabafh tipped with filver, with 
cold water and l’ugar. After it has continued there fome 
time, 
