The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-17

OF din, they are then pounded down,
dozen or more together. All funerals ar
"a the evening; the coffin is taken in torch
light procession, to the church, where il r.
mains over night; the next morning it i
buried by the sexton. During All Saint
Iday every kind of business is suspended
ind the living turn out en- ssasse, to visi
the mansions Of the dead--then the bodie
OF the poor that have been buried one year
and also those Of the rich that have lain thei
time out, are exhumed, and the bones pilet
up without the Pantheon, where they are
burned at leisure.
We visited the cross Of st. Christoval
which is conspicuous on the summit Of q
mountain north Of the city. 1t is Of wood
with the letters l. N. X. !. upon it. From
this spot you have fine view of the Andes,
rearing their lofty snow-capped peaks high
above the clouds.
There is custom that has long been
prevalent throughout Peru and Chill. which,
to the stranger, is quite imposing; il is this.
at nine o'clock in tho mssniss at noon,
and at six in the evening, the great bell Of
the cathedral is tolled, for one minute: dur
ing this time all business is suspended,
every one takes off his hat, is expected to
kneel, cross himself, repeat his prayers, and
the more devout to kiss the pavement. In
The street, shop, private dwelling and hotel,
all business, all motion, all conversation is
suspended, until the great bell ceases to toll;
then all is life and activity again; the bugles
a, the Palace gate, and the convent bells
sound merrily, and business and converse.
ton are resumed at the point where they
were dropped.
Corpus Christi was held on the 7th OF
June. This is the most interesting cere
mony Of the whole year. The procession
formed at eleven o'clock, in the Grand
Plaza; this was composed OF the various
orders of priests, friars, monks, &C., from
the different converts, each with their ap-
propriste emblems and richest decorations
the government guards, Of horse and infan-
try; officers Of State, from the President
down; members Of the military school,
students at law, &C.. &C., all bearing
various symbols. and each with lighted
candle. On the elevation of the host"
during the passage of the procession from
the cathedral, two regiments of horse and
one Of infantry, that flanked the plaza,
kneeled in body. From this. you may
Judge that the horses are as well trained in
religious exercises, as the men. What in.
erested me most was the ladies, who were
all to be seen on this day; many lining the
balconies but more mixing with the crowd
every where, the saya y manic concealing
al but one bright laughing eye. l had
much amusement, but cannot commit to |
paper all the interesting incidents Of this
iay.
Rolla's bridge is stupendous structure
If masonry, extending from the north gate
If the city to the Alameda, on the opposite
ide Of the river Rimac. 1t is lined on each
ide by seats, and is delightful evening
eson. the Alameda extends along the
bank Of the river, under beautiful shade
rees, for nearly two miles. About the
centre Of it is the amphtheatre. where, dur
ug the warm weather, bull fights are ex-
libited every Sunday. At the termination |
If the Alameda, are the public baths, which |
Ire numerous and convenient, being built
over tolerably sized stream. Each bath |
5 sufficiently large for pluDging and swim
ming, and can be deepened or lowered at
pleasure. There is no charge, other than
or towels Al a ranchero's near by,
frank :he native wine Of the country, on
he ground where it was grown and pressed.
The grapes here were very fae. In COM
,any with Doctor Stllman, and Lieuten-
int Falls, Of the Peruvian war steamer
Rimac, visited number OF the ancient
mounds or huachas, supposed to have been
quilt by the old lncas. The history or OBJ
ect of them is entirely unknown. Some
IRE two hundred and forty feet high. and
several thousand square, flat on the top,
md built Of adobes or unburnt bricks, COW
red over with cement and earth. A casual
observer might take them for the natural
lndulations of the earth. Some Of them
lave been dug over and into. but nothing
las as yet been discovered.
At Quay aquil, in Ecuador, Lieutenant
Falls exhumed from a small mound
and with it several kinds Of earth
I'm vessels, some of them surmounted by
dolls; a number of spears and arrows, made
# bone and flint; fishing lines, with hooks
# copper and bone; willow and grass cloth,
ars Of corn, Indian meal and cakes, all in
perfect state Of preservation. These, to-
,ether with collection OF minerals from
Bolivia, he presented to the Doctor who
will send them home to the United States.
Lieutenant Falls took US to the island Of
81. Lorenzo which forms one side Of Callao
Iarbor, where we amused ourselves in shoot
ng ducks. pengnins. pelioons and sea lions,
IS fast as we could load our pieces.
On this island we found the original plant
rom which the potato. was derived through
cultivation. The tops are just like the
COMMON potato, but the bulbs are small,
regular, and stringy, quite unfit to be eaten.
Returning from the island, We wenton board
he Rimac. She was built two years since.
" Bell and Brown, Of New York, and her
machinery furnished by Stillman, Allen
/ Co., of the Novelty Works. She is the
,rettiest craft that floats on the Pacific, car
ying eight ihiriy-two Founders and one
ixty -four amidships. We were presented
b the commodore and officers, and took
ca on board. They are very gentleman
' set of fellows, speak a little English,
md are all from the first families in Peru,