New-York tribune., 1890-05-30
POPULAR RECREATIONS.
fvRoM A srAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUSK.I


t,poy. srAFr CORRESPONDENT THE TRBUSE.l
Lima. Feb 1S.-For three days the floods have
CLAIMED their hands along this rainleSs coast
Without cloud in the sky water has descended
bv the bucketful on the heads of unwary pedes-
.;o,s and sbouts of merriment have been raised
from roof and balcony, where mschlef-workers
ara intrenched The reves of carnival week IN
volve prodigal wastefulncss in the use of water
Nature hv withholding rain and stining the flow
of the Andcan streams enforces all the year round
lessons of restraint carefuness and economy
During the carnival there is revolt against
nature and its wholesome discipline. Water is
showered from the housetOps with wanton eX-
travagance. All classes Join in the three days
frolic. Practical joking is licensed and business
is practically suspended for three days. Social
barriers thrown down, and spirit OF Demo
cratic EQUALITY pervades the community. The
,hambermaid upsets pitcher of water on the
head of the well-to-do merchant as he leaves
his house next door The merchants daughter
plays n similar prank upon the bcggar asking
aims in the street
When | arrived at Caao there was not
street where one was secure against attack from
doorway, balcony or roof At Lima after cross
ing the Main Plaza two travelling companions
who were walking with me to the French ana
English hotel We're drenchcd with the contents
of a wasnbowl This was at noon of the tmru
day. As the afternoon hours passed the sport
increased in intensity, and every succeSSiul
delivery from bucket or dpper was Srce'eu
with shouts of laughter. The servants III uhc
hotel. men and women at first had general
engagement in the patios from which al'er much
scufiing. scampering and horscpay, they emerged
wet 70 the skin, powdered with -four and wildly
hilarious They then stationed themselves on the
roof and for hours not carriage, nor a mule
driver nor n pedestrian went by without being
saluted in the approved carnival style. Inc
street was wet from sidewalk to sidewalk, and
every body was warned. of the danger with whlch
be was menaced hut few seemed disposed TO
turn into a safer quarter and 10 avoid assault
from the garrison of water-throWcrs. Horses
were whipped up. and men and boys ran brlShN
by lodging the showers when they could, ana
the victims when denched laughed as heartily
over their misfoTtunes as the hystanders uhder
cover or the bcsiccers aloft | saw hundreds OF
men and women showercd in this way during
the day, but in no instance did notice any signs
of resentment or anger. Punishment for exposing
themselves in the streets during the carnival
was received with mccncss and good nature
Ordinarily the man upon whom gallons of water
were emptied sauntered by with features un-
changed and a stolid expression as though nothing
had happened. | have heard several gentlemen
this morning bOasting of the number Of times
they changed their suits after these shower baths,
as though the experience of being repeatedly
ducked a creditable one.
Dipper. pail and pitcher. however. are coarse
and clumsy weapons Of the mimic warfare Of
the carnival. There more refined instruments
of torture known as chsgeutes. These are toys
by which Jets of water perfume can he thrown
directly into the face of antagonist. | have
.,t.tl rgfff.
have been sold in Peru during the last month
for use during the carnival The statement !
would have rejected incredible if ] had not
seen them in the hands Of men, women and
children in the crowded streets on the last day
of the carnival. The impunty with which CHS
veutes were brought into play on the streets
was amazing. Roughly dressed men sauntcring
through the Plaza felt at liberty 10 open their
batteries upon any passing by. There would
be quick movement of the assalants hand and
stream of water, often cOlorcd with pigment,
would be discharged directly in the victims eyes.
Ladies were attacked in this way by rou-h-ook-
ing men, and they only smiled Crmly. King
Carnival reigned His subjects Were on terms
Of equality. With the Lentcn strains IN the
churches social distinctions would be restored.
Meanwhile there brief interval of license,
masquerading and Jollity,-a saturnalia Of prac-
tical joking.
The well-to-do classes and foreigners seem To
enjoy heartily the social relaxation Of the Peru
Wan carnival. Among the chdren the iayorte
pastme is dressing in fantastic diseuses and
visiting houses and acting pantonlime The romp
ing extends 10 circles where etiquette and con-
ventiOnal prOpriety ordinarily most rlsld and
eXacting. Men and women in private houses
engage in pitched battles with water-lugs, CHS
geutes and paint-brushes, drenching one another
with imprOviscd showcr-b baths, painting faces and
dyeing hair dashng cologne and perfume into
the eyes and spending the evening i'll making
guys Of themselves Lest this may seem cXag
geration | may add that it is condensed de
scription of a night Of revclry in one Of the mos'
fashionable houses as ! received If al breakfast
this morning from one of the chief mcrrymakeTS
who closed his account by remarking that II sur
prised him every wear to observe how completely
the conventional ideas of social dccorum were
relaxed in carnival week Ash "Wednesday viii
its litanies and doleful music puts an end TO al
such social license Men and women meet unde
the same restraints which are ordinarily main
tained, and nowhere in South America are th'
proprieties of life more rigidly enforced than il
Lima.
WOMEN AND CHURCHES.
The women of the upper circles in the Peru
sian capital have always been famous for thc
beauty There is a very practical way Of testin.
the validity of such tradition as this. Th'
photographers showcases are constantly on cX
hibition and contain large COLLECTIONS OF th
beautiful women of Lima. There IS not anOthc
city in South America-and with the exception
Of the Venezuelan capital | have now seen al
the large towns-wherc such cOmey and reiinc'
faces are brought under a travellers eyes. Th
contour Of these faces is Of thei1chicf charms
IL is a delicately curved oval, with dark, deep
set eyes, and black, glossy hair. Most of TN
photographs in the showcases are taken in ful
dress and disclose the graceful figures and Lowell
arms for which the high-bred women of Lin
have been famous for generations The sun
an artist whose Judgment in such matters is en-
titled TO the highest respect but lest it may b