New-York tribune., 1890-06-04
ALONG A RAINLESS COAST.
VIII.
LIMA AS 1T WAS AND Is.

CONTRASTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE-THE fhE'H'A
CoLORED BY THE PAsT-sUfERsTlTloN AM
,xTo1ERAyCE THE BATHING RE-
SORTS AND BATTLEFIELDs-CON
QUESTS OLD AND NEW
,,eos ,srArp CORRESPONDENT OF rHE TRIBUNE
Lima February -.
. ;oc.lo each other at every
,urn in the Peruvian capital. One starts OUT
for morning stroll and is nea'S ~"
og his foot nv n drove of donkeys loaded WIN '"e
,,ou,os, Frglisb and German Calicoes for the III
,oror and the next moment he sees swan ,"N
Indian uill,-v,ndcr with black hair praiueu oe
lind his hazel, in two long plats. VINO looAS io'
u ,bo world like n daughter of the lhc"s' i'o
o,, Lolt o+ ono end OF the Plaza to puy hioih
in, iourrol with few mcagre dispatches "''
,ranslation Of French feullton, OF liz ""S ~
over 70 The Cathedral. fee gnlue al" 'e ,''N'"
hollow 10 the dark corner wherc iiA"'''
ore ranuted 10 have been hurleu' iio may - V"
% the central market. which ne VIII ni' ~ ''
" ~ IN, ,aaaor of European wares, as we'll as
haso ~ supplies for the Lima houSeholus ah"
49,, turn of three blocks will bring hlm 10 thc
onoient Plaza of the 1nQusitlon ana the nan
,,bere death DEGREES were signed ny lana'lc"
,'daos for the burning of heretics. He may take
"A
ond ,bon ston NJ silversmiths stall and drive
barcan for battered idol rited from tomp IN
ono of the aboriginal cemeteries centuries before
Pzarro crossed the on his errand OF conquest
There is the garish daylight of industrial occupa-
,ior and Measurable excitement and there Is the
,noopEcb, of historic "reminiscences shining win
reflected mstrc over this tabled City OF the hihgs'
Tho clanoor of bells in mcdiaaval church-toWers
summons a motley population at dawn to announcer
brief term of labor but there is melancholy
cadence which seems to tell of byGone glory deeus
of darkness and shame and disastrous WAITS vi
conquest. There is no other South American town
where the spirit Of the past colors so strongly 're
life of the present.
nublic market is the place where the pulse OF
q town can always he felt. Lima has a clean ana
wholesome central market. where hne assor'-
mcnt of meats. fish, vegetables and frult Is us
played The well-watered Valley OF the kinac
i ono of the best gardens in Peru. The city.
while within the limits of the ralnless pelt IL h"o
denendent upon coasting steamers for supplies
Cattle are pastured in the upper reaches oi inc
valley. and vegetables. grain and fruit are raised
in abundance with the aid of irrigation trenches
Tho fruit cannot he eXceIied on the West Coast
ond with the exception of oranges and plneappleS
which are decidedly inferior TO those of Bahia, II
& sunerior in flavor and variety to the stock DIS
nlaved in the markets on the Atlantic sldc
Grenadillas and cherimoyas are perhaps
the most delicious fruits. these are
shaped like pears. and have rough rlnd Ike
that of green orange, within when is luscious
pulp with black seeds. of the most delicate navor'
Mancoes. peaches and figs are also found here IN
norfoction The market presents most animated
scpne during the early morning hours Families
in Lima literally live from hand TO mouth Inc
Chinese or native cooks purchase all the supplies
for the household, but only in small quantities
from day TO day. When this important domestic
personage enters service an agreement is made IN
relation to wages and the daily allowance lor
supplving the table Every night the money IS
handed to the cook for the next day purchases
and il is invested entirely at his discretion "heh
dinner is over the larder is exhausted, and fresh
,,ocl, of provisions of all kinds will he needed
on the morrow The market is thronged In the
morning with these provisioning agents who pur-
chase i'm minute quantities even halves or quarters
of chicken. what will he required for breakfast
ond dinner When their negotiations are con-
c,rded they generally have a small balance leIt
over and in order TO swell their perPuisltes they
have recourse TO the livehcst chafferlng.
,rn,,rv,r s1.pFRsJITIONS AND INTOLERANCE.
With the provision and fruit stalls are con-
,ootad hundreds of stands and counters, where
ranera1 merchandise is sold. The market Is
ba,aar where ANYTHING can he purchased that is
,mnorted from Europe or manufactured here 1t
&c a place where the life, morals, religion, super
stitions and tastes Of the people are constantly
on exhibition. Stall after stall is devoted 20 ne
display of mass-books, religious embems and trim
kets and medieval paraphernaa of all KINDS.
One sees human heads painted as almas,
surrounded by flames, suggestive OF the cohnl-
+ions of purcatory and of the necessity OF re-
lieving the fate Of the unrepentant. Even more
numerous are the silver eyes, arms, legs and
hearts. which when purchased by those suffering
from bodily ailment arc taken TO the priests 70
be blessed and are then worn as charms for the
restoration of health. These and similar trlnke's
reveal the medieval character of the religion of
Peru How can il be otherwise when there are
gloomy converts, churches and monasterics fash
ioned in the spirit of the sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries in every quarter Of the town!
With the facades of those adobe palaces profusely
decorated with stucco images and plaster stat
ues of saints morbid craving for cheap re-
ligious superstitions of all kinds is created. and
the market dealers supply the demand in their
own way There religious article for
which ! looked in vain among the stalls. That
was the Bible printed in any language and
brought within reach Of the common people
II is easy to change the names of places asso-
ciated with memories Of religious fanaticlsm
The Square OF the Inquisition is now the lnde-
rendencia Roses bloom around the Bolivar
statue where heretcs were once burned alive.
Senators chaf one another in the hall where death
sentences were decreed. The fires were put out
in 1875. but the baleful "reminiscences OF the
Inquistion remain TO shape the policy of Church
and State. While coming by the train from
Callao. met Francisco Penzotti. an Italian by
birth, but Protestant coporteur and preacher.
who has been prosecuted in Peru for selling Bibles
lie was sent TO this coast by the American Metho-
dlsts of Argentina, and has been here for two