Lima--Situation and extent of the City--Streets, Houses, Churches and
Convents--San Pedro--The Jesuits--Nunneries--Beatarios--Hospitals--San
Andres--The Foundling House--The Pantheon--The Palace--The Plaza
Mayor--Pizarro--The Cabildo--Fountains--Palace of the Inquisition--The
University--National Library--Museum of Natural History and
Antiquities--Academy of Design--The Mint--The Theatre--Circus for
Cock-fighting--The Bridge--The City Wall--Santa Catalina--Barracks.
Lima is built on both banks of the river Rimac, which divides the town
into two unequal parts.[5] The larger part (the town, properly so
called) is situated on the southern bank of the river; the smaller part,
consisting of the suburb San Lazaro, or the fifth section, is on the
northern bank. The greatest extent of Lima is from east to west; from
the Gate of Maravillas to the Monserrate. Between those two points the
distance is 4471 varas,[6] or two-thirds of a Legua, or Spanish league;
and the greatest breadth of the city, that is to say, from the Bridge
(the suburb of San Lazaro not included) to the Gate of Guadalupe, is
2515 varas, or two-fifths of a Legua. The utmost circumference of Lima
is about ten English miles. The plain on which the city is built, takes
rather a decided slope from east to west.
The streets of Lima intersect each other in right lines, and
consequently groups of houses form quadrangles: these are called
_manzanas_. Each side of one of these manzanas measures on the average
from 140 to 145 varas; and it may therefore be computed that,
collectively, they occupy a superficies of from 148,000 to 160,000.
There are in all 211 manzanas, of which those situated on the Periphery
are the smallest and most irregularly constructed. Lima is divided into
five sections, which are again subdivided into ten districts and
forty-six _Barrios_. It contains about 3380 houses, 56 churches and
convents (the latter occupying at least one-fourth of the superficies of
the city), 34 squares or open areas in front of the churches, and 419
streets. On the average the streets are about 34 feet wide and 386 feet
long. Most of them are very badly paved, but they have lateral
footpaths. According to the original plan for building Lima, it was
intended that all the streets should run in one direction, viz., from
southeast to northwest, so that the walls of the houses might afford
shade both morning and afternoon. Between the Plaza Mayor and Santa
Clara this plan has been pretty uniformly carried out; but in other
parts it has been less rigidly observed. At noon there can be no shade,
as the city is situated in 12 deg. of south latitude.
The impression produced at first sight of Lima is by no means favorable,
for the Periphery, the quarter which a stranger first enters, contains
none but old, dilapidated, and dirty houses; but on approaching the
vicinity of the principal square, the place improves so greatly that the
miserable appearance it presents at first sight is easily forgotten.
Most of the houses in Lima are only one story high, and some have only
the ground-floor. The larger class of houses correspond one with another
in the style of building. In front they have two doors: one is called
the _Azaguan_, and is the principal entrance to the house; and next to
it is the door of the _Cochera_ (coach-house). Either above the cochera
door, or on one side of the house door, there is frequently a little
chamber, having a window closed by a wooden railing. At this little
railed window the ladies are accustomed to sit and watch the
passers-by--nor are they very much displeased when some of the latter
occasionally make free to _reguardar la reja_ (to look at the railing).
The azaguan opens into a spacious court-yard called the _Patio_, on
either side of which there are little rooms. Directly facing the
azaguan, is the dwelling-house, round which there usually runs a
balcony. Two large folding-doors lead into the Hall (_Sala_), in which
the furniture consists of a sofa, a hammock, and a row of chairs: the
floor is covered with straw matting. From the sala a glazed door opens
into a smaller apartment, called the _Cuadro_, which is elegantly, often
splendidly furnished, and the floor is carpeted. This is the room into
which visitors are shown. Adjoining the cuadro are the sleeping-rooms,
the dining-room, the nursery, &c. These apartments communicate with a
second court-yard, called the _Traspatio_, the walls of which are often
adorned with fresco paintings. This _Traspatio_, a portion of which is
usually laid out as a little garden, communicates with the kitchen and
the stable (_corral_). A small avenue, called the _callejon_, forms a
communication from the first to the second Patio, and is used as a
passage for the horses. When there is no _callejon_, as is often the
case in the poorer class of houses, the horses are led through the sala
and the cuadro. In the upper story the arrangement of the rooms differs
from that of the ground-floor. Above the azaguan is the cuadro, opening
into a balcony, which is attached to most of the houses in Lima. The
sala in the upper story forms an ante-room to the cuadro; and the rest
of the apartments are built above the ranges of ground-floor rooms on
either side of the patio. Above the sala and cuadro of the ground-floor,
there are no upper rooms. The roofs of those two apartments form a kind
of large terrace called the _Azotea_, which is paved with freestone, and
surrounded by a railing. This _azotea_ serves as a play-ground for the
children of the family; it is ornamented with flower-pots, and covered
with an awning to shade it from the sun. The upper story has a flat
roof, composed of bamboos and mats, overspread with mortar or light
tiles. In the houses of Lima, as in those of Callao, the windows of some
of the rooms are made in the roofs. The other windows, of which there
are but few, are on each side of the house door; they are tastefully
ornamented, and often have richly gilt lattices.
The style of house-building here described must of course be taken
merely as a general example; that there are numerous deviations from it
may naturally be supposed. In the large houses the walls are of brick,
faced with ornamental tiles (_adobes_). In the smaller houses, the walls
consist of double rows of bamboos, covered with plaster, and afterwards
painted white or yellow. The fronts of the houses are usually quite
plain, but here and there may be seen a house with a finely ornamented
facade. The house of Torre Tagle, near San Pedro, and some others, are
remarkable for the beauty of their ornaments, which attract the notice
of all strangers visiting Lima.
Owing to the heat of the climate, the doors and windows are almost
always kept open, so that the houses have not the privacy and comfort
of European dwellings.
Of the numerous churches and convents in Lima, some are deserving of
particular mention. The cathedral occupies the whole eastern side of
the Plaza Mayor. The foundation stone of this edifice was laid on the
18th of January, 1534, by Don Francisco Pizarro, who named it the
Church of _Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion_. Ninety years elapsed
before the building was completed, and on the 19th of October, 1625,
it was consecrated by the Archbishop, Don Gonzalo de Ocampo. Such was
the pomp observed at this ceremony, that, though mass commenced at
six in the morning, it was five o'clock in the afternoon before the
host was raised.
The interior of the cathedral is exceedingly beautiful. The grand altar
is ornamented with seven Ionic columns of silver, twelve feet high, and
one and a half thick, and is surmounted by a massive silver gilt crown.
The tabernacle is seven feet and a half high, and composed of
exquisitely wrought gold, set with a profusion of diamonds and emeralds.
On each side of the altar there are massive silver candelabra, each
weighing four and a half arobas (712-1/2 pounds). On high festival days,
the gorgeous splendor of the cathedral of Lima probably exceeds that of
the principal churches in Rome. The robes and ornaments worn by the
priests correspond with the magnificence of the altar; they are
embroidered in gold, and set with precious stones. The cathedral service
is performed by the canons (Canonigos).
Among the Churches of Lima, San Lazaro is distinguished for its tasteful
exterior, and the chaste simplicity of its internal decoration. The
bodies of persons unknown, found dead in the streets, are conveyed to
the door of the church of San Lazaro, and there exposed for the space of
twenty-four hours.
The convent of San Francisco, the largest of the monastic
establishments in Lima, is an immense building, situated in the
vicinity of the Plaza Mayor. In this convent mass is read daily every
half-hour, from five in the morning till noon. A small chapel within
the convent is called the _Capilla de los Milagros_, and a
superstitious tradition records that during the great earthquake of
1630, the image of the Madonna, which surmounts the chapel door,
turned towards the grand altar, and with folded hands invoked the
divine grace in favor of the city. By this intercession it is
believed that Lima was saved from total destruction. The monk who
conducted me over the convent, and who related to me this miracle,
observed with much simplicity that it was singular that the Madonna
did not repeat her gracious intercession in the year 1746.
The carved work which adorns the ceilings in the corridors is admirably
executed, though not very beautiful in design. The cells of the monks
are very simple, but perfectly comfortable for habitation. The spacious
and well-arranged gardens within the area of the convent form a pleasing
contrast to the gloomy appearance of the external walls.
To the Franciscan monks also belongs the convent of _Los Descalzos_,
situated in the suburb of San Lazaro. A broad avenue planted with six
rows of trees leads to Los Descalzos. It is a neat but not large
edifice, and stands at the foot of a sterile hill. The extensive
garden which surrounds it, and which is in a very neglected
condition, contains three palm-trees, the only ones to be seen in the
near vicinity of Lima. The situation of the convent is not healthy,
and in consequence the monks frequently suffer from intermittent
fever. These monks go barefooted, and live entirely on alms. Every
morning two lay brethren ride on asses to the city, where they visit
the market-place, and obtain from the different saleswomen charitable
donations of fish, vegetables, or meat.
Another convent is the _Recoleta de San Diego_. During Lent, and
especially in Passion Week, many men retire to this place to prepare
themselves by mortification and prayer for confession and
participation in the Holy Sacrament.
The convent of Santo Domingo is very rich. It enjoys a yearly revenue of
from seventy to seventy-five thousand dollars, for the most part
accruing from the ground-rents of houses in the city. The steeple of
Santo Domingo is the loftiest in all Lima. It is 188 feet high, and is
visible at the distance of three leagues. It is built of wood, and
inclines so considerably in its upper part, that there is little
probability of its surviving another earthquake like that of 1746. The
interior of the church is splendid. The grand altar almost vies with
that of the cathedral.
San Pedro must, doubtless, at a former period, have been the principal
convent in Lima. It belonged to the Jesuits, and was their _Colegio
maximo_. This establishment possessed enormous revenues, for all the
finest plantations and best houses in Lima were the property of the
order. In 1773, the king of Spain, instigated by the celebrated Bull of
the 21st of June of that year (Dominus ac redemptor noster), dispatched
an order to the viceroys of the provinces of South America, directing
them to arrest the Jesuits all in one night, to ship them off to Spain,
and to confiscate their wealth. Of course the utmost secresy was
observed, and it is a well-authenticated fact, that in Peru, with the
exception of the viceroy, and those of his agents whose assistance was
indispensable, no one knew anything of the affair. But the same ship
which conveyed the king's commands to the viceroy, had on board the
necessary instructions to the vicar-general in Lima, from the superior
of the Jesuits in Madrid, who was fully acquainted with the king's
design. The preparatory arrangements were made under the seal of perfect
secresy, and at ten o'clock at night the viceroy assembled his council,
and communicated to them the royal commands. It was determined that no
one should be permitted to leave the council-chamber until the blow was
struck. At midnight some confidential officers, with the requisite
assistance, were despatched to arrest the Jesuits, an accurate list of
whose names lay on the table before the viceroy. The patrols knocked at
the gate of San Pedro, which was immediately opened. The commanding
officer desired to see the vicar-general, and the porter ushered him
into the great hall of the convent, where all the members of the order
were assembled, evidently expecting his visit. The holy brethren were
prepared for immediate departure, each being provided with a bag or
trunk containing such articles as were requisite on a sea voyage.
Similar preparations had been made in all the other convents belonging
to the Jesuits. The surprise and disappointment of the viceroy on
receiving this information may be easier conceived than described.
Without delay he ordered the whole brotherhood to be conducted under a
strong escort to Callao, where they embarked. In the course of a few
days inventories were made of the effects in the convents. At San Pedro
it was expected that vast treasures in specie would be found; but how
great was the dismay, when, instead of the millions which it was well
known the order possessed, only a few thousand dollars could be
collected. All the keys, even that of the treasury, were politely laid
out in the chamber of the superior. This was a cruel mockery! The
Jesuits could not have taken a more ample revenge on the treachery that
had been practised on them.
It was suspected that the treasures were concealed partly in the convent
of San Pedro, and partly in the plantations. According to the evidence
of an old negro, at that time in the service of the convent, he,
together with some of his comrades, was employed during several nights
in carrying heavy bags of money into the vaults of the convent. Their
eyes were bandaged, and they were conducted by two of the brethren, who
helped them to raise and set down the bags. The negro, moreover,
declared his conviction that there was a subterraneous spring near the
spot where the treasure was deposited. The searches hitherto made have
been very superficial, and it seems not impossible that by dint of more
active exertions this concealed wealth may yet be brought to light.
At present San Pedro is occupied by about a dozen lay priests. They
perform the spiritual service of the _Oratorio de San Felipe Neri_. They
live on the revenues derived from the rents of the few plantations which
have not been confiscated or sold. The chapel is prettily fitted up in
the interior, and the midnight mass at Christmas is performed there with
great solemnity. The external walls of both the chapel and the convent
are painted a reddish-brown color, which has a very sombre and ugly
effect.
The convents of _Nuestra Senora de la Marced_ and _San Agustin_ are
situated at the back of San Pedro. The former is spacious, but not
largely endowed; the latter is a poor-looking edifice, but it possesses
rich revenues. To San Agustin is attached the once eminent but now very
inferior college of San Ildefonso.
Besides the monastic establishments above named, Lima contains
several smaller convents for friars, and sixteen nunneries. Of the
latter the largest is the Monasterio de la Concepcion. It is very
rich, and has an annual revenue of upwards of 100,000 dollars; in
other respects it is remarkable for nothing except the not very pious
habits of its inmates. _Santa Clara_ and the _Encarnacion_ are also
large establishments, and well endowed. The nuns who observe the most
rigorous conventual rules are the _Capuchinas de Jesus Maria_, the
_Nazarenas_ and the _Trinitarias descalzas_. For extremely pious
women, who wish to lead a cloistered life without taking the veil,
there are three establishments called _Beaterios_, which may be
entered and quitted at pleasure:[7] these are the _Beaterio de
Patrocinio_, the _Beaterio de Santa Rosa de Viterbo_, and the
_Beaterio de Copacabana_. This last was originally established
exclusively for Indian females. The _Refugio de San Jose_ is a place
for the reception of married women who wish to withdraw from the ill
treatment of bad husbands. On the other hand husbands who are of
opinion that their wives may be improved by a little temporary
seclusion and quiet meditation, can, with the permission of the
archbishop, send them for a while to the _Refugio_. The _Recojidas_
is another institution of the same kind, but destined for females of
the poorer class.
Lima possesses a great many hospitals, but all are lamentably
defective in internal arrangement, and above all in judicious medical
attendance. The largest of the hospitals, San Andres, was founded in
the year 1552 by the Licentiate Francisco de Molina. Three years
afterwards, the Viceroy Don Andres Hurtado de Mendoza, first Marquis
de Canete, placed it under the direction of the Government. Down to
the year 1826 this hospital was exclusively destined for the
reception of sick Spaniards. San Andres contains five large and four
smaller wards, with 387 beds. One part of the establishment is set
apart for incurable patients. The annual outlay of the hospital
amounts to between 45,000 and 50,000 dollars. In the hospital of San
Andres insane patients are received, and their number is always
considerable. On the 30th of November (St. Andrew's Day) this
hospital is opened for the admittance of the public, and one of the
favorite amusements of the inhabitants of Lima is to go to San Andres
to see the lunatics. It is melancholy to observe these unfortunate
beings, thus made the objects of public exhibition, and irritated by
the idle throng who go to stare at them. The collection of alms from
the numerous visitors is, doubtless, the motive for keeping up this
custom, which, nevertheless, is exceedingly reprehensible.
The hospital _Santa Ana_ was founded in the year 1549, by Don Fray
Geronimo de Loyza, first Archbishop of Lima, and was destined for
Indians of both sexes. The benevolent founder, with the most earnest
self-devotion, attended the patients, and with true Christian charity
performed the humblest duties of a sick-nurse. He died in 1575 in the
hospital, to which he bequeathed a yearly revenue of 16,000 dollars.
The building contains five large wards, and 336 beds. Since the
declaration of independence no Indian has been received into it. This
hospital, alternately with those of San Andres and San Bartolome, was
used as a military lazaretto; but since 1841 it has been allotted
exclusively to female patients of all classes; for it was found
necessary to abandon the former female hospital of _La Caridad_, on
account of its damp situation.
_San Bartolome_ was an hospital founded in the year 1661, for negro
patients; but it has lately been closed. It contains eleven wards
and 217 beds.
Under the name of Santo Toribio an hospital for incurable patients was
established in the year 1669, by Don Domingo Cueto.
In 1702 it was consigned to the superintendence of an order of monks,
called the padres Belemitas, and in 1822 it was incorporated with the
hospital of San Lazaro. The latter establishment was founded by Anton
Sanchez, in the year 1563, and was exclusively destined for leprous
patients. Persons afflicted with cutaneous diseases, and especially
maladies of a contagious nature, are sent thither.
In the convent of San Pedro there is a small hospital for poor priests.
Attached to it is a dispensary, from whence the poor were supplied
gratuitously with medicines, at the time when the convent was in the
possession of the Jesuits.
Lima also possesses a Foundling Hospital. Luis Ojeda, who humbly took to
himself the title of _Luis el Pecador_ (Luis the Sinner), bequeathed all
his fortune to the foundation of this establishment, which received the
name of "Collegio de Santa Cruz de los ninos expositos."[8]
The refuge for female penitents was founded in the year 1670 by the
viceroy, Count de Lemos. The funds were derived from a legacy
bequeathed for that object by Don Francisco Arcain in 1572. The
establishment has but few inmates.
In former times it was the custom in Lima to bury the dead in graves
dug within the churches; but the heat of the climate, and the
difficulty of making the graves sufficiently deep, rendering this
practice exceedingly objectionable, the viceroy, Don Jose Fernando
Abascal, determined on making a burial place beyond the boundaries of
the city. A piece of ground was allotted for the purpose, and it was
consecrated on the 1st of January, 1808. It is called the _Cementerio
general_ or _Panteon_, and is situated eastward of the city on the
high road leading to the Sierra de Tarma. It consists of two gardens,
very prettily planted, and inclosed by high walls. Along the walls,
on the inner side, there are niches, about a thousand in number,
ranged in sixteen different classes, and they may be purchased by
those who wish to possess them. Many of them belong to families and
convents. The graves are watched and kept in order by criminals who
are condemned to this duty as a punishment. It is calculated that it
will be five years before this cemetery is filled. When room is
wanting, the niches which have been first occupied will be cleared,
and the bones deposited in a bone-house, of simple but appropriate
construction. At the entrance of the Panteon there is a neat little
chapel, where the funeral obsequies are performed. Burials are
permitted to take place only in the morning; and when a funeral
retinue arrives too late, the body remains uninterred until the
following morning. The rich are buried in coffins, the poor merely in
winding sheets, which are made after the pattern of the habits worn
by the barefooted friars of the order of San Francisco.
The grand square of Lima, the _Plaza Mayor_, though not in the centre
of the city, is nevertheless the central point of its life and
business. It is 426 feet distant from the Rimac, and presents a
regular quadrangle, each side of which is 510 feet long. From each of
the four corners two handsome straight streets run at right angles.
There is no pavement, but the ground is covered with fine sand. The
cathedral and the archbishop's palace occupy the eastern side of the
square. The latter adjoins the sanctuary, and has rather a fine
facade. The windows of the principal apartments open into a balcony,
commanding a view of the Plaza.
On the north side of the square stands the government palace,
formerly the residence of the all-powerful viceroys. Its exterior
aspect is mean. It is a square building, and the front next the Plaza
is disfigured by a long range of shabby little shops (called _La
rivera_), in which drugs are sold.[9] These shops are surmounted by a
balcony. A large double door opens from the Plaza into the great
court-yard of the palace. Along the western side of the building there
are also a number of little shops occupied by saddlers and dealers in
old iron. The street, running in this direction, is called the Old
Iron Street (Calle del Fierro Viego). The principal entrance to the
palace is on this side. On the south the building has no entrance, and
it presents the gloomy aspect of a jail. On the east a door opens into
a small yard or court, within which are the office and prison of the
police. A few long flag-staffs, fixed on the roof of the palace, do
not add to the beauty of the edifice. The interior of the building
corresponds with its outward appearance, being at once tasteless and
mean. The largest apartment formerly bore the name of the _Sala de los
Vireyes_. It is now used as a ball room when entertainments are given
by the government. Under the Spanish domination this room was hung
round with portraits of the viceroys, the size of life.[10] The series
of vice-regal portraits from Pizarro to Pezuela, forty-four in number,
completely filled the apartment at the time when the patriot army in
Lima revolted, and consequently the last viceroy, Don Jose de la
Serna, who owed his elevation to the military revolution, could not
have a place assigned for his portrait among those of his
predecessors.[11] The other apartments of the palace are small and
inelegant. Some of the rooms are used as government offices.
The present palace was, as far as I have been able to ascertain, built
about the beginning of the seventeenth century. In the great
earthquake of 1687 it was almost totally destroyed, but it was
subsequently restored. The palace which Don Francisco Pizarro built
for his own residence, stood, not on the site of the existing edifice,
but on the southern side of the Plaza, on the spot where now a narrow
dirty alley, called the _Callejon de petateros_, forms a communication
between the Plaza and the Silversmith's street (_Calle de Plateros_).
It was in that old palace that Juan de Herada, the friend and partisan
of Don Diego de Almagra, carried into effect his plot against
Pizarro. On the 26th of June, 1546, the viceroy was seated at table
with a party of his friends, when the insurgents surrounded the
palace, shouting "Death to the tyrants!" Pizarro, though warned of his
danger, had scarcely time to seize his sword. One of his principal
officers, Don Francisco de Chavez, was killed at the door of the
apartment, and several of the viceroy's friends and servants escaped
by the windows. Among others who attempted to save themselves in this
way was Pizarro's counsellor, Juan de Velasquez. Only on the previous
evening this man had been heard to declare that no one would be found
bold enough to join in an insurrection as long as he held in his hand
his staff of authority. This declaration was in a certain measure
verified, for Velasquez, whilst descending from the window, held his
staff between his teeth, that he might be the better able to support
himself with his hands. Martin Pizarro, together with two noblemen and
two pages, were the only persons who remained faithful to the viceroy.
The latter, with the bravery of a lion, made a long stand against his
assailants. "Courage, brother! Down with the traitors!" exclaimed
Martin Pizarro, who, the next moment, lay dead at the viceroy's feet.
At length Pizarro, exhausted by his efforts to defend himself, could
no longer wield his hitherto victorious sword: he was overpowered, and
one of his assailants having stabbed him in the throat, he fell,
mortally wounded. With his last faltering accents he implored the aid
of a confessor; and after losing the power of utterance he traced with
his finger, on the ground, the sign of the cross, kissed it
repeatedly, and breathed his last. Such was the sad end of one of the
greatest heroes of his age;[12] a man guilty of many crimes, but also
unjustly accused of many of which he was innocent. His acts were
consistent with the spirit of his age, and were influenced by the
frightful circumstances in which he was placed. In short, there can be
little doubt that Pizarro was "better than his fame."
The west side of the Plaza Mayor is occupied by the _Cabildo_, or
senate-house (formerly called the _Casa Consistorial_), together with
the city jail, and a row of houses of no very handsome appearance.
The south side is filled by a range of private dwelling-houses, with
balconies looking to the Plaza. The houses, both on the west and
south sides of the square, are built above a colonnade, in which
there are numerous shops.
In the middle of the Plaza is a magnificent bronze fountain with three
basins. From the middle basin rises a pillar, surmounted by a figure
of Fame spouting the water from her trumpet. In the other two basins
the water is ejected from the mouths of four lions. The pillar and
figures for this triple fountain were cast in the year 1650, by the
able artist Antonio Rivas, by order of the then reigning viceroy,
Count de Salvatierra. Besides this principal fountain, there are
several smaller ones, from which the public are permitted to supply
themselves with water.
The second large public square in Lima is the _Plaza de la
Inquisicion_, which, since the war of independence, has received the
name of the Square of Independence (_Plazuela de la Independencia_).
It is of trapezi-form, widening in the eastern part, and is certainly
no ornament to the town, for it is always in a very dirty condition.
Being the public market-place, it presents a very busy aspect during
the fore part of the day. Two buildings on this Plazuela attract
attention, viz.--the Palace of the Inquisition and the University.
There are now but few remaining traces of the internal arrangements of
the fearful tribunal; for, on the suppression of the Inquisition by
the Cortes, the enraged populace forced their way into the building,
where they gutted the rooms, and destroyed the furniture. Lima was the
seat of spiritual jurisdiction for the whole western coast of South
America; and the rigor of its despotism was not far short of that of
the Inquisition of Madrid. Every year vast numbers of persons
convicted or suspected of crimes were brought from all the intervening
points between Chiloe and Columbia to the Tribunal of the Inquisition,
and most of them were doomed to the most dreadful punishments. _Autos
da fe_ were frequently held in Lima, and cases of other kinds of
martyrdom were exceedingly numerous. The lists, which have been only
partially preserved, present melancholy results. One part of the
Palace of the Inquisition is now converted into a store-house for
provisions, and the other part is used as a prison.
The University of Lima was once the most important seat of education
in South America. It owes its origin to a decree of the emperor
Charles V., issued at the solicitation of the dominican monk Maestro
Fray Tomas de San Martin. The decree was dated the 12th of May, 1551,
but it did not reach Lima until two years after that time. A papal
bull of Pius V. confirmed the imperial decree, and conferred on the
institution the same privileges as those enjoyed by the Spanish
university of Salamanca. The Lima university was originally
established in the convent of Santo Domingo, but after the lapse of
three years it was removed to the building now occupied by San Marcel,
and in 1576 it was installed in the site it now occupies. It received
the name of _Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Marcos_. In the year
1572 the first lay rector was elected in the person of Gaspar
Menendez, a doctor of medicine.
The building is situated on the east side of the _Plaza de la
Independencia_, next to the hospital of _la Caridad_. The facade is not
handsome, but is remarkable for a style not belonging to the age in
which it was erected. The building is entered by a lofty door, opening
into a spacious quadrangular court, along the four sides of which there
are pillared corridors. On the walls of these corridors the different
branches of science are allegorically represented in fresco paintings,
and beneath these paintings are inscribed quotations from ancient
classic authors. The lecture rooms open into the corridors which run
round the court. Facing the entrance door, in the left angle of the
court, are great double doors opening into the Aula, which is spacious,
and has rather an imposing aspect. In the middle of the wall, on the
right-hand side, stands the rector's chair in a sort of niche,
surmounted by a canopy. On either side of this chair are ranged the
seats of the professors, and the members of faculties. Opposite to the
rector's seat, on the left-hand side of the Aula, is an elevated chair
occupied by the president, when academic prizes are distributed. Below
it is an arm-chair for the candidate. On each side of the president's
seat are several rows of benches, for the members of the university and
visitors. Over the entrance door there is a gallery to which the public
are admitted, and which, on the occasions when prizes are distributed,
is usually occupied by ladies. On the walls of the Aula are hung
portraits of celebrated learned men.
The National Library, situated near the convent of San Pedro, was
founded by a decree, dated the 28th of August, 1821. The books belonging
to the university of San Marcos formed the nucleus of the National
Library. To them were added the libraries of several of the monasteries,
some sequestrated works, and the collections of a few private
individuals. Of these latter, the most considerable was the collection
of General San Martin, and a library of 7772 volumes bequeathed,
together with a legacy of a thousand dollars, by Don Miguel de la Fuente
y Pacheco. In November, 1841, the National Library of Peru contained
26,344 printed volumes, 432 manuscripts, and a small collection of maps
and copperplate engravings. It is particularly rich in old works on
religious and historical subjects. The books relating to the Conquest,
and to the early period of the Spanish dominion, form in themselves a
complete historical series. Of modern works there are but few. The
pecuniary support of the establishment is very inconsiderable. The
government exacts from it the import duty, three per cent., on European
books, making an average annual sum of 400 dollars. In addition to this
the salaries of the librarians amount annually to 2794 dollars. The
library is open to the public every day (Friday and Sunday excepted)
from eight in the morning till one in the afternoon, and from four in
the afternoon till six in the evening.
In the left wing of the same building is the museum, containing a
collection of objects of natural history, antiquities, and other
curiosities. This collection was first formed in the year 1826, in some
of the spare rooms of the palace of the Inquisition, and was afterwards
removed from one place to another, until at length the government
allotted to the purpose the two fine apartments in the building above
mentioned. As yet the establishment is quite in its infancy. It contains
nothing of scientific value, and but for the series of historical
portraits already described, it would differ but little from the
collections of curiosities frequently formed by amateurs, in which all
sorts of heterogeneous objects are jumbled together. The museum of Lima
bids fair to remain for some time to come on the footing on which it was
when I saw it, for the establishment has no funds, save a monthly
allowance of thirty-two dollars, and out of that scanty pittance the
expense of fitting up the rooms, the glass cases, &c., has yet to be
defrayed. The museum is open to the public four days in the week.
Two other apartments in the same building are set aside for the Academy
of Design (_Academia de Debujo_). On three evenings every week pupils
are admitted to this academy to receive gratuitous instruction in
drawing. The number of the pupils amounts to between 80 and 100; but
there is convenient room for 200. The collection of models and drawing
copies for the use of the students is but indifferent.
The mint is situated in the vicinity of the Plazuela de la
Independencia. It was founded in Lima in the year 1565; in 1572
transferred to Potosi, and in 1683 removed back to Lima. For the space
of seventy years this establishment was in the hands of private
individuals; but in the year 1753 the Spanish government took the
management of it, and erected the building in which it is still
located. It is a large and handsome structure, but very defective in
its internal arrangement. Until the year 1817 the machinery for
casting was worked by mules, ninety-two of those animals being
employed daily. Subsequently, under the direction of an Englishman,
water-power was introduced, by which expense was diminished and time
saved. A few years ago a French merchant made an arrangement with the
government for the use of a complex machine, which he proposed to
bring from Europe. The machine arrived, but by an unlucky fatality it
proved perfectly useless. For the space of four years repeated
attempts were made to work it, but in vain; it fulfilled none of the
required conditions. Its faults are manifold, and it reflects but
little credit on the person by whom it was contrived. It has cost no
less than 250,000 dollars, and has never been of the least use.
In the mint of Lima there are annually cast from two to two and a half
millions of dollars, which yield a profit of from 140,000 to 180,000
dollars, out of which are paid the salaries of the persons employed.
Under the Spanish government these salaries amounted annually to
48,906 dollars; now they make, together with other customary outlays,
the sum of 85,105 dollars.
The value of a mark of silver in the mint is 8 dollars 4 reales; that of
a mark of gold is 144 dollars 4 reales. The standard worth of the gold
is 21 carats; that of the silver 20 grains.
Next to the arena for bull-fights, situated in the Plaza firme del Acho,
the theatre is the principal place of public amusement in Lima. The
first theatre, erected in the year 1602, was situated near the convent
of San Augustin, in the street which still bears the name of "Comedia
vieja." It was destroyed in the earthquake of 1630, and rebuilt on the
same site. In 1662 it was pulled down to make room for a new street, and
afterwards the present building was erected. Its external appearance is
very ugly and the interior is not much better. Before the orchestra
there are some commodious inclosed seats or stalls. The boxes, which are
completely separated one from another by partitions, are narrow but
deep: the smaller ones are capable of containing eight persons, and the
larger ones twelve. In the centre of the first tier of boxes, and
fronting the stage, is the government box, which occupies the space of
two of the others. It contains seats for the prefect, the sub-prefect,
and the members of the Cabildo. The president's box is likewise on the
first tier, and on the left of the stage. Adjoining it there is a small
cabinet, closed on the side next the pit by a wooden railing. Into this
cabinet the president retires between the acts of the performance. The
stage is small, and the scenery very indifferent.
The performances are for the most part wretched, both as regards the
merit of the pieces and the talent of the actors. Nothing can be in
worse taste than the little farces called saynetes, which, according to
Spanish custom, always close the performances, whether the principal
piece be a tragedy or a comedy. Common-place intrigues form the subjects
of these _saynetes_, and their dialogue consists of vulgar jokes. They
are altogether calculated to banish any gratifying impression which
might by possibility be produced by the principal piece.
For some years past a company of Italians, settled in Lima, have given
operatic performances on a small scale. One of them, Signora
Pantanelli, is an excellent singer, and would be heard with pleasure
even in Europe. Some other members of the company have middling talents,
but the rest are decidedly bad. The operas performed are Giulietta y
Romeo, Parisina, Lucia di Lammermuir, Marino Faliero, La Sonnambula, and
Il Barbiere di Seviglia: these, together with a mutilated Norma, and a
much curtailed Semiramide, form almost the whole repertory. Want of
stage room is an obstacle to the representation of operas demanding
grand scenery and machinery. The costumes are for the most part
exceedingly elegant, though seldom historically correct. The orchestra
is defective, and ought to be much improved, to give satisfaction to a
public passionately fond of music.
But if the inhabitants of Lima are great lovers of music, dancing has no
less powerful attractions for them. Though the time is gone, when the
dress of any opera-dancer may be expected to reach below the knee, yet
the drapery of a Limanese Terpsichore appears to have attained even an
ultra degree of curtailment. The representation of ballets, properly so
called, is not attempted; but the Bolero, the Fandango, the Cachucha,
and Don Mateo, are favorite and often repeated performances.
During the long intervals between the acts, smoking is permitted in the
pit and in the outer court of the theatre. There is also a plentiful
supply of very bad and very dear refreshments.
An intolerable annoyance experienced in visiting the theatre at Lima is
caused by the swarms of fleas which infest every part of the house, but
most especially the boxes. Unfortunately, this nuisance is irremediable,
and the visitor must be blessed with a large amount of endurance who can
patiently sit out a whole evening's entertainments.
Not far from the theatre is situated the circus for cock-fighting
(_Coliseo de gallos_), where fights (_peleas_) take place daily. The
Coliseo is a large amphitheatre, with an arena in the middle. The
game-cocks trained for this sport have the spur removed from the right
foot and in its stead is substituted a small sharp steel blade, curved
and shaped like a scythe. One or other of the animals is frequently
killed at the first spring; and when that is not the case they continue
fighting until they die of wounds and exhaustion. It is a cruel sport,
and a worthy pendant to bull-fighting. The first Coliseo was erected in
1762, by Don Juan Garrial. The present building, in the Plazuela de
Santa Catalina, is a very handsome structure, and Lima may fairly boast
of possessing the finest circus for cock-fighting in all the world.
In the same square with the _Coliseo de gallos_ is the tennis-court,
a spacious area, surrounded by high walls. It is not now so much
resorted to as formerly, for the Creoles are not so fond of tennis
as the Spaniards.
A beautiful stone bridge unites the town with the suburb of San
Lazaro. This bridge was built in the years 1638-1640, when the Marquis
de Montes Claros was viceroy of Peru. The plan was designed by Fray
Geronimo Villegas, an Augustine monk. It is 530 feet long, and has six
arches rising thirty-seven feet above the surface of the water. The
foundation of the piers is composed of square blocks of stone, the
piers themselves are of brick, and the parapet of cemented stone work.
The erection of this bridge cost 400,000 dollars. A sufficient proof
of its strength and solidity is the fact that it survived the
earthquakes of 1687 and 1746, which shattered all other parts of Lima.
In the earthquake of 1746 the first arch, on which stood an equestrian
statue of Philip V., was destroyed, but it is now restored. It has on
one side two towers, with a dial in the middle.
The city of Lima, with the exception of a portion of the north side,
and the suburb of San Lazaro, is surrounded by a wall built of brick.
This wall was constructed in the year 1585, when the Duque de la Plata
was viceroy. It is the work of a Fleming, named Pedro Ramon. This wall
is between eighteen and twenty feet high. Its breadth at the base is
from ten to twelve feet, and at the top nine feet. It does not
therefore afford sufficient space for mounting large guns. Along the
whole extent of the wall there are thirty-four bastions. In the year
1807, this wall, which had fallen into a very ruinous condition, was
repaired by order of the viceroy Abascal, and put into a condition to
be mounted with artillery. On each side commodious pathways were made,
and along the inner side powder magazines were constructed. At present
these fortifications are in a state of complete dilapidation. The
paths, which are obstructed by rubbish, are almost impassable, and
the powder magazines are destroyed. The city wall of Lima has nine
gates (_Portadas_). Of these, six only are now open, viz., the
Portadas of Maravillas, Barbones, Cocharcas, Guadelupe, Juan Simon,
and Callao; the three others, the Portadas of Martinete, Monserrat,
and Santa Catalina, are walled up. At every one of the open gates
there are stationed custom-house guards, whose chief duty consists in
preventing the smuggled introduction of unstamped silver (_plata de
pina_). In the direction of the suburb of San Lazaro, the city cannot
be closed, as the wall does not extend to that part. Between San
Lazaro, and the high road to Cero de Pasco, is the _Portada de Guias_;
this, however, is not properly a gate, but a small custom-house. In
this direction it is easy to gain entrance to the city from the river,
and consequently it is here that most of the contraband silver,
brought from the mountains, is smuggled.
Among the fortifications of Lima may be included the pretty little
castle of Santa Catalina, situated at the eastern end of the city,
between the Portada de Cocharcas and the Portada de Guadelupe, at the
distance of about two hundred yards from the city wall. It is
surrounded by rather high walls, and is flanked by two bastions. The
interior of this citadel is very well arranged, and is kept much
cleaner than such places usually are in Peru. It contains stores of
arms and barracks for the artillery. The largest barracks in Lima are
those of the infantry, _Quartel de Infanteria_, in the Colegio. They
are remarkable for want of cleanliness, and like most of the public
buildings in this interesting city, going fast to decay.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: The city of Lima was founded by Don Francisco Pizarro on
the 6th of January, 1534. As it was the day of the Epiphany, Lima
received the title of _Ciudad de los Reyes_ (City of the Kings).
Historical records vary respecting the day and the year of the
foundation of Lima; but I have reason to believe that the date I have
mentioned above is perfectly correct.]
[Footnote 6: The _Vara Castellana_ is equal to 33 inches English
measure.]
[Footnote 7: The females who retire to these establishments are called
_Beatas_ (Bigots). The term _Beaterio_ signifies a house for
Bigots.--T.]
[Footnote 8: According to some accounts this establishment was
instituted in 1654, by Mateo Pastor de Velasco, a native of
Portollano in Spain.]
[Footnote 9: In these shops any one may purchase for a trifle one of
the most deadly poisons (Strichnos Ignatia, L.). It is made up into
what are called _Pepitas de Cabalonga_. It is used in Lima for
poisoning dogs.]
[Footnote 10: This highly valuable and interesting collection of
portraits is now removed from the palace to the museum. It is curious
to mark the progressive changes of costume, and to observe the various
physiognomies, especially if we reflect on the history of the men whose
traits denote such striking differences of character. Almost all these
portraits are distinguished by an air of tranquil gravity which in some
is combined with true kingly dignity, and in others with an expression
of fierceness. The handsomest head of the whole series is decidedly
that of Francisco Pizarro. His features bear the stamp of manly energy,
and his whole countenance is characterized by courage and candor. The
nose has the prominent Arabic form, and the forehead is high and
expanded. The thick beard, covering the mouth and chin, gives a gloomy
and resolute character to the face. In this series of portraits there
is one representing a priest with the vice-regal insignia.]
[Footnote 11: By a singular coincidence, the title of Conde de los Andes
(Count of the Andes) was conferred on La Serna by King Ferdinand at
Madrid on the 9th of December, 1824, being the very day on which he
gained the battle of Ayacucho, the results of which gave the Spanish
dominion in South America its death-blow.]
[Footnote 12: The above particulars are collected from the _Historia
del descubrimiento y conquista de la Provincia del Peru_, by Augustin
de Zarate.]
[Illustration: CHILIAN INDIAN MOTHER.]
[Illustration: LADY OF LIMA.]
[Illustration: PERUVIAN MONK.]
[Illustration: PERUVIAN FARMER.]