LIMA.

THE SAME.

(Morse's Gazetteer.)

LIMA is the modern capital of the kingdom of Peru; also called Cindad de los Reyes, or City of Kings, was founded in 1535, by Pizarro. It is situated in the spacious and delightful valley of Rimac, an Indian word, and the true name of the city itself. It is surrounded with a brick wall, flanked with 34 bastions, but without platforms or embrasure; the intention of it being merely to inclose the city, and render it capable of sustaining any sudden attack of the Indians. The houses, though low, are generally commodious, and of a handsome appearance. They are constructed of wood, on account of the frequent earthquakes. The grand square in the middle of the city is of great extent and beauty. In the centre is a large and magnificent fountain. On its sides are the cathedral and the archbishop's palace, the viceroy's palace, the town-house and prison. The other -principal buildings of the city are the churches and chapels, which are partly built of stone, and decorated in the most splendid style, with paintings and ornaments of the greatest value. The number of inhabitants in 1795, was 52,627, of whom about 20,000 were whites, and the rest negroes, Indians, mulattoes, and mestizoes. Of the whites about 3,000 were monks and nuns. Luxury in dress, and a fondness for splendid retinues, constitutes the prevailing passion of the inhabitants of Lima; and the public walks and malls are always crowded with carriages. All classes are fond of fine clothing, and wear the richest stuffs of Europe as ordinary dresses.

BUENOS AYRES.

PROVINCE OF BUENOS AYRES.

(Vidal's Travels.)

BUENOS AYRES is situated on the west bank of

the Rio de la Plata, above two hundred miles from its mouth. Before it became the seat of a viceroy, it was considered the fourth city in rank in South

America; but it has since increased so rapidly in opu-. lence and population, as to be held inferior to none but Lima; it is regularly built, the streets being perfectly straight and broad, unpaved in the middle, but having footpaths on each side. The houses are supposed to amount to six thousand; and the number of inhabitants, which used to be estimated at forty-thousand, is now reckoned not fewer than seventy thousand. Most of the buildings, both public and private, formerly had mud walls; but a Jesuit, who was employed to erect the church of his college, between seventy and eighty years ago, instructed the inhabitants in the art of making bricks and lime, and the city has since assumed a very different appearance. The architecture of the cathedral, and of most of the churches, is likewise ascribed to the lay-brothers of that community, who employed the Indians under their care in the execution of these and many other public works. Thus, it is recorded, that in 1688 and the following years, five hundred of these people were engaged upon the fortifications, the port, and the cathedral of Buenos Ayres. The latter is a spacious and handsome struc.. ture, having an elegant cupola and a portico, the de sign and execution of which are highly extolled. The interior is profusely decorated with carving and gilding. The dome contains paintings in compartments, representing the Acts of the Apostles. The church of the Franciscans, and that belonging to the order of Mercy, are next in rank; both have steeples and cupolas, nearly in the same style as those of the cathedral."

QUITO.

NEW GRANADA.

(Morse's Gazetteer.)

THE volcanic mountain of Pichincha is the basis on which this celebrated city rests. The streets, except the four principal ones, are very irregular, owing to the inequalities of the ground which are so great, that they entirely deprive the inhabitants of the use of wheel carriages. The city contains seven parish churches, a uni

versity, with numerous convents, nunneries, &c. The population is estimated at 70,000. The whites make up one-sixth part; the mestizoes a third part; the Indians one-sixth; and casts of different kinds one-third. Quito is so happily situated, that neither the heat nor cold are troublesome, though the extremes of both may be felt in the neighbourhood. This equality is constant throughout the whole year, the difference between the seasons being scarcely perceivable; but to counterbalance this advantage, here are dreadful tempests of thunder and. lightning, and still more dreadful earthquakes, which often surprise the inhabitants in the midst of security. On the 4th of February 1797, the country was shaken by a most dreadful earthquake, the face of the whole district was changed, and in the space of a second, forty thousand persons were hurled into eternity. The height of Quito above the level of the sea is 9,510 feet.

RIO JANEIRO.

BRAZIL PORTUGUESE AMERICA.

(Arago's Narrative of a Voyage round the World, during the years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820)

THE appearance of Rio is delightful," says M. Arago, "and few cities of Europe can vie with it in regularity. I think it is larger than Lyons, and as it is diversified by small hills, planted with groves and gardens, the uniformity of the houses does not fatigue the eye. Almost all the streets are as straight as a line, and some of them are remarkably beautiful; those called Direita, Alfandega, Ourives, and Ouvidor, rival each other in richness. It is chiefly in the two latter that our marchandes des modes have their elegant shops, which is the same thing as to say that they are the most fre quented.

The houses, though they have in general but one story, have a very neat appearance externally, owing to the balconies which adorn them. The arrangement of the interior is tasteless; and the dull and smoky apartments remind you of those of our Gothic chateaux. All the ground-floors are latticed, and the lattices would

tend not a little to favour amorous intrigues, if love occasionally sojourned at Rio.

The city is embellished by three or four places or squares. The principal is that of Rocio, where the theatre, built by the king in 1805, is situated. In the centre of this area is a very elegant gibbet, surmounted by the arms of the kingdom, at the foot of which the nobles alone have the privilege of being beheaded. Some Brasilians even assert, that this gibbet ennobles: few commoners," says M. A., "I shrewdly suspect, have courted this favour. The other places are, St. Anne's, which is a mere market for cattle and horses, and that in front of the palace, which is every way worthy of the magnifi. cence of that edifice.

Rio contains one hundred and twenty thousand souls, five sixths of whom are purchased slaves.

Fifty vessels are engaged in the slave-trade: I have seen one of these arrive. The idea of these unfortunate wretches being crowded together, devoured by vermin, exposed to all sorts of diseases and privations, wrings my heart, and fires it with indignation against a government, which thus traffics with the lives of so many thousands of individuals, because their colour differs from that of its own subjects.

In the street of Vallongo, there are at least twenty marts for the sale of negroes. There is no street in the city where so much traffic is carried on.

These slaves are in general dull and reserved; there are others, of whom it might be said that they rejoice in their chains. They are brought from the coast of Africa. Those who are shipped at Angola are marked on the breast with a large R, and in general tatooed. These belong to the governor. The others are bought at Mosambique and Madagascar. Those of Mosambique have the incisive teeth sawed, and brought to a point. Those of Madagascar are tatooed, and have very regular and well executed designs on the shoulders and over the whole back,

They all subsist on manioc-flour and blows; the allowance of the latter is too great, that of the former sufficient.

It is still considered problematical whether the ne

M

groes are men or brutes; they are employed as the first, but beaten like the latter. They are nearly naked, and I have seen negresses without any apparel whatever.

When a negro is purchased, his master throws over him a white tunic, bedizened with gold lace, and has him baptized, under the idea that this ceremony is sufficient to make a christian of him.

A slave who attempts to escape is flogged, and round his neck is put an iron ring, to which is attached a short sword, with the point turned towards his shoulder; and this collar he continues to wear till his master thinks fit to take it off. I have seen two negroes whose faces were covered with tin masks, in which holes were made for the eyes. They were thus punished because their misery had induced them to eat earth for the purpose of putting an end to their existence."

M. Arago is very severe on the monks of Rio Janeiro, whom he calls an ignorant and debauched crew. He relates various extraordinary anecdotes, among which are the following:

"A very wealthy goldsmith had, among his slaves, a negro from the coast of Mosambique, on whom he daily tried the strength of his arm. Ill usage and privations had rendered this poor wretch so imbecile, that every morning he went regularly and held forth his left hand to his master, who fastened it in a vice, while, with a large file, he filed away his fingers by little and little.The fingers were all gone, when the master again summoned him, as usual, into his presence, and ordered him to hold out his right hand. Inflamed with rage at this requisition, the black seized the same file by which he had been so cruelly mutilated, and struck his master with it till he extended him lifeless on the floor. He then flew to St. Christopher's, and loudly insisted on seeing the king; the monarch ordered the slave to be admitted. The latter, throwing himself at his feet, confessed that he had just committed murder.-" Unhappy wretch! what induced you to perpetrate the crime?""Revenge."-" What had been done to you?"-Look at this mutilated hand."-" What fault had you committed to be thus treated ?"-"I do not know."-"Let the witnesses be sent for immediately, and meanwhile let