The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-02
STREET SCENES IN LIMA.
Scenes in the Streets Of
the Peruvian Capital
Prom the Jarlnarv HarDers'.


From the JagaNarv HaF2eTs'.
In the streets Of Lima you remark the
rareness of carts, and the use by preference
Of mules and donkeys as beasts Of burden.
All day long the streets are full OF itlnerant
vendors, many Of whom come in from the
suburbs and the country. The milk woman,
negress or Chola, with dark skin, long
braids Of black hair and q white straw
Panama hat Of masculine shape, sits en-
thronei on the top Of her cans, and often
carries baby in her arms or, If her Indian
blood be very strong, the baby will be hung
on her back in pouch. The water-seller,
or dguddor, rides on the hind quarters Of a
donkey, with his water barrels in front Of
him. The bakers uss square panniers made
of parchment stretched on q wooden
frame, and for supplementary loads long
sack is suspended on each side Of the mule or
donkey. Fruit sellers are to be found on
every street corner, squatting in the shade,
with piles Of grapes. PdttGs, peaches, gran
dilLdS, mangoes, bananas, and other fruit
before them. The Discrepancies bridge is
a favorite station for the fruit women, and
also for all kinds Of pedlers, amongst
whom the Chinaman is conspicuous. In
Lima the Chinese are very numerous;
some of them sell water ices and others
fruit, which they carry in Oriental style in
baskets suspended from long bamboo pole
balanced on their shoulder; they also do ell
kinds of odd work as porters and servants,
but their speciality is keeping cheap restau-
rants The Limenos eat, but do not dine.
may even go further, and say that they
never will dine SO long as the Hispauo-
American system of leaving housekeeping
entirely to the servants remains unreformed
At present the better classes Of society give
the cook So, IS or more every
day, and with that sum the cook
provides whatever be thinks proper
unadvised, unsnlightened and uncontrolled.
Most of the people, however, live like pigs,
do no cooking at home, and send out to the
nearest restaurant to buy a dish or two Of
something that defes analysis John China
man is the exclusive restaurateur Of the
poor, Of the working classes, and of the
market people. Around the principal Msr-
cado de la Conception, in particular,
Chinese restaurants and shops abound, each
one decorated with vertical inscriptions
written on black or orange-red paper. Some
of the merchants and shopkeepers are we'll
dressed and good Looking Chinese, with
elegant pigtails, nicely shRvsn blue tenn
pies, and glossy skins; but the vast major
ity of the yellow race in Lima are coolies Of
the lowest class, who wear cotton trousers,
black or chocolate-colored blouses, and
Panama hats. Many of them have no pig
tail, but allow their hair to grow shaggy.
| Others, again, are miserably emnciated and
| jaundiced by the use of opium. There is a
Chinese theater at Lima, and a pagoda.
The origin of the colony is the importation
of coolies in former years TO work the
guano deposits, and for agricultural labor.
The system of contract labor, which
was virtual slavery, was abolished by law
| only few years ago; but most of the eman-
cipated slaves have remained in tho ooun-
| try. where they now intermarry with the
native Chotd women, and form peaceful
and industrious citizens and model fathers.
| am informed that John Chinaman's quail
ties as a husband and family man are now
highly appreciated by the native ladies of
the lower classes, although formerly he was
| looked upon with horror.
Negroes also abound in Lima and all
| along the coast of Peru. They are likewise
emaucipated slaves and their descendants,
and form very turbulent, shameless and
| foul-mouthed class, especially in the sea-
ports, where they serve as stevedores. In
Lima they are coachmen, laborers and
loafers, and, together with their large
woolly- women and grinning chill
dren, they impart West Indian aspect to
certain quarters of the town. Besides Chi
nese and negroes, you see In the streets Of
Lima all kinds of cross-broeds and all shades
Of skin, from Ethiopian black, chocolate,
copper, red-brown and yellow to the
salIow white skin of the aristocratiC
and WORKOUT Peruvian and the
Opaque pure white of the far-fauied
Limena beauties. The intermixturs of the
black, white and yellow races with the ma
tive Indians has produced more than twenty
degrees of hybridism, to distinguish which
requires an expert. In Lima the pure Indian
| from the mountains Is rarely seen, and
when he and his do go down to the capital
they prove 10 be a stolid and imbruted
couple, not worthy of any particular inter
est. They ore, however, good Catholics.
bow religiously before the gaudily dressed
images exhibited at the church doors, and
deposit their obole in the tray which the
priests present to them.