The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-14 00:00:00

DESCRIPTION OF LIMA.

The following description of Lima is extracted from a
private letter from that city, dated July 2.5:
" I write to you from the city of kings, and the gard m
of eternal summer, where rain is unknown, but vegetation
enjoys uninterrupted health, cherished by nightly dews.
" Lima contains at present about 60,000 inhabitants, but
the number has been much reduced by the departure of old
Spaniards, who fled from the revolution.

" The city exhibits the remains of much grandeur, and
must have contained immense wealth. At this time the
most common utensil, of the old inhabitants are generally
of solid gold and silver.

..,
" The buildings are generally two stories high, with
patios or court-yards, terrace moth balustradtd, all built of
massive stone work, except the doors and rafters, and ve-
randas projecting into the streets. The floors are all of
large bricks or tiles. Every house is enclosed by a heavy
stone wall, which includes the garden, and is generally or-
namented outside and inside with paintings, representing
bull-fights, chases, feasts, &c.
....

" The churches are built in the Gothic style, and gene-
rally covered on the outside with roughly-carved work,
which has a rich and very ornamental appearance at a little
distance, but will not bear close investigation. They are
all raised with cupolas, and steeples full of hells, which are
rung on every occasion, and frequently without occasion.
The insides are decorated with statues and paintings in
every part, and the moat costly furniture, which all the
contributions levied in the late war have not reduced so
much as to permit a stranger to believe there could have
been more.

" An extensive palace, built by Pizarro, is in good con-
dition ; it occupies as much ground as one of the largest
squares in Philadelphia. Before the revolution it was the
residence of the Vice-Kings. A suit of apartments in it is
now appropriated to the use of General Bolivar, others are
occupied as offices of government, and many are vacant.
" The building is so extensive that strangers require a
guide within it. It is two stories high, and in the usual
style of the city. About the centre of the building I en-
tered a long room entirely vacant. This,' said the gen-
tleman who conducted me, is the ball where Pizarro was
dining when the insurrection suddenly burst upon him.
That is the door the exasperated natives broke through in
search of him: lie fled from the table into this next
apartment, was pursued, and, in trying to escape by that
window, was dragged back and assassinated. The scene
of his punishment recalled to my memcry his acts of cru-
elty, and I could not feel any commiseration for his fate.
" Lima is about eight miles inland from the Pacific
Ocean, and Chorillos is the temporary seaport, distant
about nine miles. Callao is the proper seaport, and about
the same distance from Lima; but it is occupied by the
Royalists under General Rodil, and is now the only seat
of war in Peru. The three places are about equidistant
from each other."

SPORTING Omni/am—On Monday last, died, at one
o'clock, in Chester House of Industry, in his 94th year,
John Singleton, who rode for the Leger Lord Rocking-
ham's brown bay filly, by Sampson, in 1776, being the
first year that interesting and popular race was run, and
which he won. Old John was of the Catholic persuasion.
He was born at Kendal, on the 24th of June, 1732 ;
Ibis father was a horse-dealer ; John became a jockey at
the age of sixteen, and rode first at Kirby Lonsdale.
During his rporting career, when about twenty, he rode a
match between Sir W. Strickland and Sir Frompton,
on which occasion a song was published, entitled, The
Yorkshire Knigbta." He also, as we have stated, rode the
first winner of the St. Leger; he was the rider of Cyclops,
and jockeyed Eclipse, in all the great races which that
astonishing horse ran ; Singleton's last riding was at
Chester, in the year 1784. He at one time had raised
sufficient money to purchase a horse, which broke its leg
in running at Burnswood. Leaving the turf, he set up as
horse dealer; afterwards was a horse breaker and farrier.
His wife having been indisposed for two years, he became
reduced, and first received a weekly allowance of 3s. from
the parish board of Chester, on the 30th July, 1818,
which he continued to do until the 24th May, 1821, when
he was admitted into the house, and remained there until
his death. The old jockey used, with great glee, to re-
count his various and successful exploits on the turf, and
preserved his health and faculties, almost unimpaired, to
within a few days of his demise.
A man named William Dean has now been parish clerk
of the village of Chappel Allerton, Somersetshire, for 63
years! The old man is in his 91st year, and still con-
tinues to perform the duties of his office with considerable
earnestness.

A wretch who, at a bull-fight near Oxford (which
took place on 12th October last), tore the tongue from the
root of the tortured animal whilst yet alive, has been ap-
prehended by a neighbouring Magistrate, and will be tried
at the Quarter Sessions for the misdemeanor.—Wouccsfer
Journal.