The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-01
Sketches of Lima.
From Colton's Deck and Port. "

THURSDAY, APRIL 16. The Indian,
cyrie, on the summit Of some steep and
lofty mountain, says traveller, may be
easily passed m,ny times unnoticcd by
the stranger But he will one day en-
counter a swiit.footed Indian, closely
followed by a person on well-accoutred
mule,-whosc geer is all laden with sill
yer ornaments; and the rider, who sits
at his ease in saddle of the country
with rich pillion, wears large
brimmed hat, with black silk cap cmer
ging to view at the ears and temples
lie has on a couple Of ponchos, well dec
grated and fringed his brown stocking
are of warm Vecuna wool and the hee
of his small shoe, half concealed in ;
clumsy, though costly wooden stirrup, i.
armed with prodigiously disproportionet
silver spur, with large tinkling roller
used to keep his noble animal in mint
that she is but the harbinger of death
and carries on her back the keeper of the
sinners conscience.
This minister of peace to the miserable
hurries to shrive the soul of dying In
dian, whose abode, like the falcons over
looks the paths of the ordinary wayfarins
man; and which when deserted, seems
to the sight of the observer underneath
to be, indeed, the lofticst earthly poin,
between the ground he himself stands
upon, aud the heaven for which, it is be-
lieved, the anxious and fiuttering spirit
of the dying man only waits the curate's
absolution and blessing to wing its i'm
mortal fight. When all is over, wher
the absolving benediction has been pro
nounced, and death has triumphed where
life took its last stand, the pale pulseless
form, wrapped in its costly vest, is dressed
for burial. Wild-fowers are strewn OF
the dead by the Indian maiden, while
the cliffs around mournfully echo back
the funeral dirge. How true is human
instinct to the awful mystery of the
grave
Observing an immense concourse oil
the grand plaza, | elbowed my way among
them, and soon ascertained the cause o.
the rush to be the drawing of the public
lottery, On an elevated ample platform
were seated the judges, before whom re-
volvcd three hollow globes. The first
contained the billets representing the
prizes. the second the names Of those who
held tickets. the third the numbers o.
these tickets. When the globes stopped
revolving, the lads stationed at each drew
through a small aperture, simultaneously
a billet. One contained the prize, anoth
er the number of the ticket, the third the
name of the owner. Every heart wa.
now in terrible hutter till the number
and the name were announced; and ther
q shadow fell on many faces that were
bright moment before.
The largest prize was thousand dol
lars the least was silver pitcher, or {
silver unmentionabie, belonging to cham
her furniture, and which was displayed
without the slightest sentiment of mirth
A more motley crowd than those whose
dreams Of wealth were here dashed, de-
lusive hope never brought together. They
assembled in noise and mirth, and scper
ated in silence and sadness. Such Q
scene as this the grand plaza presents or
the afternoon of every Wednesday. The
proprietor of the lottery pays the state
annually forty thousand dollars for his
privilege. The tickets are one real OIL
twelve and half cents each. They who
cannot buy ten, twenty, or hundred
can buy one. In this lies the secret Of
its success and mischief. 1t finds dupe
wherever it can find fool with a penny
The venders of these lottery tickets hawk
them through every street and lane, and
from the stepstones of every church il
Lima. The pious signature assumed by
the purchaser, shows that he connects
his hopes of success with the assurances
of his religious faith. No one here
would pit cock without a prayer to his
patron saint
FRIDAY, APRIL II. On the Sabbath
which succeeded Holy Week | went tc
the cathedral to attend worship, and
found it closed continued on to the
church of San Pedro, and found that
closed; turned off to the church of San
Augustin, and found that also closed
Observing the streets full Of people, who
were moving towards the broad bridge
which crosses the Rimac, | concluded
that there must be some great religious
festival in that quarter, and followed on
The crowds continued to move over
the Rimac, but instead of entering any
church, wound off, in solid column. through
the rows of trees which shade its left
bank. | at last inquired of an intelligent
looking man who was walking at my el.
bow, to what sacred spot they were bound
When, with look of half wonder at my
ignorance, he replied, to the Corrida de
ToroS the bull-6ght! | turned on my
heel and threaded my way back, with
some difficulty, through the crowds who
We're passing onward to the savage spec.
tacle. Among them were groups of chill,
dren from the schools, boys in gay
frocks, and girls in white, with wreaths
Of flowers around their sunny locks head.
ed by their teachers. Monks with iheir
beads, mothers with their daughters in
fancy at the breast, and old age with one
foot in the grave; all chattering aud
laughing, aud josting and shouting, aud
pressing on to the bull-ring, on the Sab
bath
Upon inquiry, found that these bull
fights formerly took place on Monday,
but that the Archbishop of Lima, to en-.
able the laboring classes to attend them,
hnd changed the day to the Sabbath.
They are a horrible spectacle at best, ut
terly revolving to every sentiment of re-
fnement and humanity; and the social
and moral evils which they inAct would
be sufficiently revolving were they con-
incd to secular occasions, but they be.
come doubly pernicious when they involve
such an outrage on the sanctity of the
Sabbath, under the sanction, too, If the
highest ecclesiastical functonary in the
state.