The royal cockpit is a daily resort, excepting Sundays. Many good mains of cocks are fought, and an afternoon seldom passes without four or five pair being matched. The pit is surrounded with ranges of seats, above and behind which is a range of galleries. Every cock has one large lancet-shaped spur fastened to his leg, his own spur being first cut off: for this operation, as well as for placing the game within the ring, several fancy men attend, and one of the regidores always acts as umpire, and is paid for performing this judicial duty. The cockpit, as well as the theatre, belongs to the hospital of San Andres.
There are several places in the suburbs for skittles and bowls; but they are more frequented by Spaniards, particularly Biscayans, than by creoles.
The public walks, paseos, are part of the Callao road, as far as the willows extend. The new alameda, which has a double row of high willows, a coachway between them, and foot walks on each side, with two ranges of seats built of brick, is about a mile in length along the river side, having a very commodious cold bath at the farther end, formed by a spring of beautiful limpid water. One large bath is walled round, with a covering of vines over a trellis roof. There are also twenty small private baths, to which a great number of people resort during the summer. The water after supplying the baths is employed in turning a corn-mill, and then in the irrigation of several gardens. The old alameda is also in the suburbs of San Lazaro: it is about half a mile long, has a double row of willows and orange trees on each side, enclosing shady foot walks with stone benches, and a carriage-way in the middle. There are three old fountains in the carriage-way, and a beautiful view of the convent and church of San Diego at the northern extremity, having the beaterio, house of female seclusion, called the Patrocinio, with a neat chapel, on one side, and the small chapel and convent of the recoleta de los Agonizantes, on the other. On one side of this alameda the Viceroy Amat had built a large shallow reservoir or basin, with some beautiful lofty arches, like a portico, in the Grecian order, at one end; also the necessary pipes were laid for conveying water to the top of the central arch, from whence it was to have fallen into the basin, forming a most beautiful cascade; but he was superseded before the work was finished; and, as one Viceroy has seldom attended to any thing left unfinished by his predecessor, this work, like the road to Callao begun by the Viceroy Higgins, remains unfinished.
To these public paseos such numbers of the fashionable inhabitants resort on Sundays and other holidays, particularly in the afternoons, that as many as three hundred carriages may sometimes be counted: the richer tradesman in his calesa, drawn by one mule; the nobleman in his coach and two; the titled of Castile in a coach and four; and formerly, the Viceroy in his coach and six; he being the only person in Lima, excepting the archbishop, who enjoyed this distinction. Gentlemen seldom go in the coaches, so that the beauty of Lima have the temporary privilege of riding alone, and nodding without reserve to their amorous galanes, who parade the side walks. The paseo de los alcaldes, the procession of new mayors, is in the old alameda, and is always an occasion of great bustle, being on new year's day. The Viceroy never attended, because his dignity would have been eclipsed by the brilliant liveries and gay appearance of the alcaldes.
The principal bathing places are Miraflores, one league from the city: it is a pretty village, with several handsome ranchos, or cottages. Chorrillos, two leagues from Lima; a large village, with a very neat church, being a parish of indians. Here the descent to the sea is very commodious, and those who prefer bathing to gaming generally visit this place; but there is nevertheless a considerable portion of the latter fashionable amusement here. Lurin is about seven leagues from the capital, it is also a parish of indians, and a place of great resort for the higher classes of gamesters:—the distance precludes a too numerous concourse of the lower orders of society.
The piazzas of the plasa mayor are crowded every night from seven o'clock till ten with the frail part of the female sex. A range of tables with ices, lemonade, and other refreshments stand on the outside of the piazzas, with benches for the weary and thirsty to rest upon. At eight o'clock the retreta, the different bands of military music, leave the palace door: this is a great attraction, and forms an excuse for many a fair visitor to attend the piazza. The bridge, as has been already mentioned, is another place for evening chit chat. The piazzas are the genteel lounge on a Sunday and the morning of a holiday, when they are generally much crowded.
The paseo de las lomas, or de los amancaes, as it is called, is a visit to the hills on the north side of Lima on the days of St. John and St. Peter. The amancaes, yellow daffodils, being then in flower, the hills are covered with them. At this time of the year the cattle are driven from the farms to the mountains to feed; for as soon as the garuas, fogs, begin, they are covered with verdure, so that the principal incitement is to drink milk, eat custards, rice-milk, &c. In the evening it is very amusing to see thousands of people in coaches, on horseback, and on foot, returning to the city, almost covered with daffodils, of which each endeavours to collect the largest quantity.
One of the peculiarities which excites the attention of a stranger in Lima is the tolling of the great bell of the cathedral at about half-past nine in the morning: at this time the host at high mass is elevated; the oracion bell is rung at sunset. In the morning the bustle and noise in the market may be loud enough to astound an unaccustomed observer, but the bell tolls, and instantaneously all is silent as the tomb—not a whisper, not a footstep is heard; as if by enchantment all in a moment becomes motionless; every one takes off his hat, many kneel till the third knell is heard, when the bustle, noise, and confusion again commence. In the evening the scene is repeated, the oracion bell tolls, and motion ceases in every direction; the buyer and the seller stand like statues, and the half spoken word hangs on the lips until the third knell is heard, when crossing themselves devoutly, they bow to each other, and a general "good night," buena noche, sets them at liberty again to follow their avocations. I never could help admiring this method of reminding every individual to thank his Creator for blessings received during the day, and to crave his kind protection during the night. I have often been pleased with the solemnity produced, for, without entering any particular place of worship, a place perhaps where the tenets are contrary to the religious creeds of many individuals, all
"To Thee whose temple is all space,