Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13


dreds Of country villas and an Tire suburban
villages were burned 70 the ground. Thus
Chorillas the Long Branch Of the coast. was
entirely destroyed. A railway leads from
Choriilas 70 Lima, passing through the once
lovely village Of Niranorss. whose name liter
ally translated means 'See the flowers" The
Chilians landed ct Chorillas, and having re-
duced that town TO ashes, they marched along
the line of the railroad 10 Lima, ruthiessiy de-
stroying everything on The route. For one
whole night Lima was in the hands Of q mob of
armed soldiers, who had broken loose from all
restraint and were ~ bloodthirsty and unfeel-
ing As so many Sepoys; and they were only
prevented from entirely burning and sacking
the city by the energy of the British minister
and other members Of the diplomatic corps,
whose warships were in the harbor at Callao.
SIX THOUSAND PRIESTS THERE.
It Is said that there are 1900 foreigners in
Lima and no fewer than 6 1000 priests. The
latter gentry are met at every step, in black
robes and white, gray covls and shovel hats.
monks of all orders and varieties Of habit and
clergy of every degree. Prof Orion affrms
that there are at least twenty Ave different adj
mixtures OF blood in Lima. Be that as il NAV,
certainly . more mixed collection of people
would be hard to find. There arc English,
French, Spaniards, North Americans, Belgians.
Chinese and negroes, black, white, yellow and
all intermediate shades of complexion, mingled
among the leather-hued native population, and
one need not walk half square to hear q
dozen different languages spoken.
ITS CLIMATIC CHANCES.
Being situated under the tropics and at an ele-
vation Of only SO feet, it might reasonably be
expected that the climate of Lima would be
too warm for comfort; but such is by no means
the case. During the six months that answer
for winter on this side Of the equator (from
June to November) the thermometer ranges
from 81 degrees to 81 degrees Fair. and is
often so cold that warm wooden clothing is
necessary for comfort, especially indoors,
where the thick walls retain dampness and ex-
ciudc the sun, rendering the interiors much
more chilly than the open street. The low
temperature of the place may be partially ac-
counted for by the close proximity of the
snowy cory1illeras, and Also from the fact that
the great Antarctic current of the Pacific sets
from the southwest full on the coast. where the
temperature Is 81 degrees less than the waters
OF the open sea 100 miles from land.
UNCOMFORTABLE fods AND DANPNEn.
1t is not positive cold that renders life in
Lima unplessant during the winter time 20
much as the fogs and dampness Sometimes
for days together the sun refuses TO show his
face, and "a regular Scotch mist heavy
enough to form a continual drizzle makes tine
sidewalk slippery AS ice and 30 permeates the
".
though visitors are often assured that lit never
rains In Lima" the most partial citizens are
Obliged to admit that what he calls Ia guara, a
dense fog, that forms itself INTO minute drops.
brings all the discomforts without any of the
benefits Of a good healthy shower. 1t soaks
through the matched roofs, 1iscolors the drip
ping ceilings. loosens the wall paper and
trlckies down upon the floor in puddles. Yet
umbrellas and Overshoes are not in fashion
here. You might search the city shops with
out being able to find either. and to appear
upon the streets with ANYTHING more formida-
Bile in the way Of protection from the wet than
fancy quitasol (paresoD would be TO 70: one S
self up as a mark for ridicule. 1t is "A remarka-
bic but unexplained fact that while Lima is
thus frequently shrouded in mist and moist
ure the other towns and villages in the same
valley may be enjoying cloudless skies and
warm, bright sunshine.
ALARMISGLY LARGE DEATH LISTS.
1t is said that when the last of the Incas
heard where Pizarro was going to establish his
capital he rejoiced in his heart, saying that
soon not one of his enemies would remain
alive. Tradition has it that long before the ar
rival Of any Europeans this particular portion
OF the valley of the Rimas was set apart as a
place of Punishment for criminals sort of
Inca Dry Tortuyas or Siberia, where evil-doers
soon succumbed to the deadly climate and
ceased from troubling. Some sixty years ago
thirds of the people Of Line are at all times
suffering from tercianus Intermittent fevers).
or from their consequences" But that was be-
fore the Countess Of Cinchona. whose husband
was one of the vice kings Of Peru. had been
cured of her terciana by the Peruvian bark, -
whose remedial virtues had been discovered by
a Franciscan friar during the early days Of the
conquest. The aborigines made a de-
coction Of il to cure their agnes;
1t was tried upon the shaking
soldiers with great success and it remained for
the vice queen to make It fashionable BY merely
consenting to be setupon her legs again through
its agency. She introduced the bark into Spain,
who're il was given her name, cinchona. and
the drug that has since been made OF it, known
a. quinine, has certainly accomplished more
real substantial good right here in Lima than
have all the missionaries, Romish and Protest
ant, that ever came over. Yet year by year
the death Lists are alarmingly longer than those
OF births and were the city not constantly re-
cruited from other parts of the country il
would have been depopulated long ago. 1t is
said that the mortality among infants here is
three times greater in proportion to population
than in London. Paris or New York, but that is
doubtless as much due to bad drainage and the
poverty, carelessness and filth of the lower
classes as to climatic causes.
FANNIE b. WARD