Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-01
Carnival Time in Lima.

Shrove-tide, all over the Latin Christian
world, is a time Of merry making and folly.
OF the absurdites of the carnival in GER
tain parts Of Europe, and one or two Of our
own cities, almost everybody knows some
thing; but very little, indeed, is known Of
that period in South American towns.
Upon the approach of my first Lenten sea-
son in Lima, was warned of what might
be expected II l ventured into the streets
from the Sunday morning before Ash
Wednesday until Tuesday night. At the
same time l was told that the sports Of the
season had greatly moderated Of late.
All Of the older houses as in most Spanish
American towns-follow the Moorish style
OF architecture
First comes the heavy wall, pierced by the
great "porte-cochere," and its deepseated
windows, with gratings, more or less orna-
mented and gilded. From above and across
the entire front project solid, closed bal
comics, resembling a narrow conservatory.
In the more modern dwellings these bal
comics do not appear, as municipal decree
twenty-five years ago. This was
partly on account Of earthquakes, but more
because of the narrowness Of the streets.
The adjustment of the admirable hiding
places furnished by these balconies may have
had something to do with the dying out OF
the broader features of the carnival play"
For from the modern upper windows, flush
with the public streets except for the merest
apology for balcony, it must be difficult, as
it is certainly a not verypretty piece Of busi-
ness to pitch a bucket OF water upon the
pedestrian below. This liquid, never by any
| chance anything but dirty, was called in fine
irony Lavender water" and its recipient was
privileged to retaliate to the full extent of his
ingenuity and physical adroitness. Lima
houses always stand invitingly open and un-
guarded, except In the case Of the very rich
who employ door porter; so the challenged
passerby at carnival time could easily enter
by the "patir," and, climbing the broad
stairway, seek his revenge. If he sue
| ceeded in finding his fair assallant
a merry babble ensued, which resulted some
times in an involuntary plunge by the
| ladies Of the house into their own bath tubs.
In preparing to thus play carnival" :"
| Limanians put on garments whose utility
| had so far outlved their beauty that what
ever befell them was matter of compare
| tive indifference to their wearers.
Woman. however, by no means always
| take the initiative in these sports. The men
| go about on horseback armed with huge
| pewter syrnges full Of all sorts OF liquids,
| although among respectable people they
were some sort Of perfumes. These they
| emptied into the face or eyes caught peep
| ing from behind the sheltering curtains Of
| the balcony. One class of carnival players
| in the old days, was the "egg throwers." t"
An explanation Of their peculiar functions Is
! needless.
Today one sees in Lima none Of the ex-
tensive sports OF Shrovetide as practiced
while that lovely city was little known to
| Europeans or North Americans.
| The most one has now to dread in passing
| along the streets is an occasional spraying
| Of Florida water or the reception of the
contents of broken bag Of colored, scented
| powders Some times the powders strike
| your head, some times your face, but more
| often your back and shoulders and you are
apt to present a curious appearance until
| you reach a friendly shelter and get the
| telltale decoration brushed away.
The only pedestrians allowed 10 move on