New-York tribune., 1890-05-30

dark, fascinating eye ana the shapelS "'" ''''
spicuous. but il covered up the lovely contour VI
the face IL is never seen now puu 'hcie -
reminiscence of il in the embroidered man'o' lie
tapada was practically mask WIN WHICH "
conceal the face, and these Lima peau'les h:"
no cause 10 do that. II was, moreover Il cos
tune lacking in individuality, Ike 'he "iacN
crcpe gowns and wells now worn Nv women oi
every class when they go 10 church' Iio "i'
flies that have been flashing thelr beauty III tnc
ro,,o,s of Carnival Week are black crickets this
morning. chirping their Ave Marias ana pray
ors from the pavements of the musty churches.
t. was fortunate, perhaps, that ! saw so many
Of the handsome women of Lima in the Chorillos
and Collao trains. for otherwise my faith in the
SIMS sirn-nanua as disclosed in the photoG
raphers' rooms. would have been disturbed. after
contrasting the pictures of the churches with The
bindings themselves. In photographs those TEN
n,cs are wonderful examples of ornate and ford
arcbitecture with facades of intricate tracery and
delicate carving In reality the churches are de-
boscd spccimens of deliberately ornamented Re-
roiesorcc architecture with mud and plaster as
tho buildinc materials tricked ont with innu-
,roroblc images statues, marble columns and
poretricious blur of strangely contrasting colors
Possibly the Cathedral may he reserved as pos
.ossnp some effective features. when one is some
distance away so as to lose sight OF the nttlc
statucttcs. turrets and pinnaceS and to see only
tho silbouettc of its massive towers ana Droad
nave projected against yellow sunset Sky nun
San Pedro. San Francisco and all the other adobe
churches and converts. with their OBSERVATIONS
cloistcrs domes and towers and their comph-
Gated fronts of painted stucco work ana 1uSsN
carving are irredccmably bad from every point
of Wow Some of the interiors are imposing, as
for eyample the nave of San Francisco WIN us
lofty arches: but the cXtcriors with the stncco
fronts and the gaudily painted towers III start
ling combinations Of red black and yellow ana
bluc are simply vile. however Venerahe 'hc re-
1icious associations connected with them may ne
Notbinc could he more misleading than photo
croph of n Lima church; and on this account the
women Of the city, who are really beautliuL are
,,ocod ot n serious disadvantage when their faces
arc exhibited on the same walls with those spu-
rious samples of adobe Renaissance.
pLAzAS AND ARCHITECTURE.
With the numerous churches summarily dis
missed from consideration. the general aspects OF
Lima call for slight comment. The main plaza
has the Cathedral and Archhlshops house on one
side the palace of the Niceroys on another, ana
arcades with small shops on the other two. In
the centre is brisk fountain, surrounded hy i'-
kent lowcr-beds and ambitious statuary Inc
halls of the Deputies and the Senate are anc'cn'
structures of no architectural merit in the Flal
de Ia Indcpendcncia. where there Is a really Eo'n
work of art-an equestrian statue oi b"ilN"I' J"
another and remote quarter Of the city j. very
handsome and tasteful monument. the Mayo
erected in honor of the successful defence OF 'a-
lao against the Spaniards Beyond the h'na''
with its bridges iS the famous Alameda OF stat
uary: and not far away arc the hand,on" l\I".
biton bindings of So. with the statuc OF tolrm
bus These among the most ambitions "l Inc
architectural pretensions Of the capital.
Lima is rich in historic traditions Of the IncaS
and Pzarro. and in "reminiscences of former pros
oeritv and greatness, but IL IS poverty stricken
in appearance. and thc population has probably
fallen 70 10000. Tie streets are narrow. p'F"
with cohhcstoncs and illl.htcd. In th" ol'cH
time drainage was provided for log l7cqulas. OF
wafer conduits. in the middle Of the principal
streets and turkey hu2zardS were 'he scaNenlriS
of The town These trenches have been covered
over and converted into sewer-pipcs. cmpiyln9 INTO
the Rimac which flows through the centre OF ih'
city with a swift current. now swollen WIN III"
rains prevailing IN the mountains lHis ~
narkeJ sanitary Improvement. hut there are low
other Sims Of progress. The rows OF adobe houses
and shops are low. dlncN ana Shabby. me W'''
prominent feature Of tic domestic nTcil"''4I' IS
flp ire rUldT ilDf Nl Nhn''H ''N'' i.ii.'''''~
the fronts of the altos, or second stories ah' pro
ccriur over The Sidewalks For four or lfr l'''
from the bottom The :" are completely I'"s'''' 40
that tie occupauts are screened ir' ID We" HON
the streets: and above the balcony railing there
arc SWINGING qass doors or else laiilcc"ork Shu'
ters These balconies Offer facilities for outdoor
louncing at all seasons; ana d"IuiR th' ''Ii'
the water brgadcs stationed lu tnc'i. aN N.4i
as an tIr fat roofs dIcctly overhead. ! be iaclAN
with which the narrow streets have been COM
mandcd from these covered amhuscodc> has I'M
fI - fDf =
,,etcr rlnon pedestrians and mulc-rldcrS. N"NlN
every house and shop has a iiaesian, nom "hcI
trcamers Of bunting arc displayed ON national
Lolilavs and manners and religious cWh'rHS OIL
n,,'Ir feast and saints DAYS Of which there is "A
MI calendar The GROUND floor Of house is of'ln1-
rilv occupied by shoDS on each sac %l 'i' 'ir.l''
entrance which i, barred with double ron gates
Within is the pasSagcN"N l"ahhf 10 W. 'Nii.
courfyard tho wall, often being d"o"rni"l WIN
inferior paintings either religious or clsNl'" li
character \ winding stairway CONDUCTS itF
,.ic;t,r =, ,bc second floor where there are large
airy au9rtmcnts surrounding tlc interior court
some of the hest hous-3 have only ono moor,
with hieh vaulted ceilings and dDupr pt'i"s
The most prctcntious mercantile .hlcrs are 'p,
nroaclcd bv archways leading through paved
courts The shops are small ana makc ill' ,uS-
nE,v Many of them being hardly more IFAh
stnlls some II the bcst-paironized stores are
narrow boxes under the covered paved walks of
the arcadcs in the main plaza.
THE BEST SPANISH BLOOD.
The Spanish pioneers in Peru were mainly
CastiliauS This accounts not "nF I"I 'I'
beauty Of the women. but also for the purlir 81
the language spoken. The Spanish heard here
in tie best circles is in idiom and pronunciation
the least corrupted in South America The
! Castilan blood explains also that passion for
excitement and that inherent Io'c Of plrasnr"
which have always been married. characteristics
, Of tie Peruvian capital Bul-leits have re-
| taincd their popularity here, but the exhibitions
are not 50 coarse and barbarous as the one which
| ! witnessed few weeks ago In Montcvidco.
Horses are not goIcd and killed. the skill Of the
| riders and the capcadors being shown IN dis-
tracing the attention OF The pull ana preventing
| wanion and unnecessary bIOOdshcd. Inc bull
ring is superior 10 the shabby enclosure III Monte
vidco and is the largest in Spanish America.
| Cock pits also flourish but are no longer patron
| ized by ladies Of fashion 40 IN the olden days.
| There are two theatres. but in these hard times
their business is not rcnuncratIvc, Inc passion
! for gambling ha, somewhat abatcd owing prob
| ably 10 the lack Of prosperity in this poverty
stricken capital; but public lotteries conducted
] nlarto al, sri