The old and the new Peru

by Marie Robinson Wright

ENTRANCE TO THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, LIMA.

GRAND STAND OF THE JOCKEY CLUB, LIMA.

Many of the leading families of Peru are descendants of Spanish nobles who came over with the viceroys, and a few trace their ancestry from the conquerors; but the best fibre of the nation is derived from the enterprising colonists who established commerce in the country during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and by their industry and practical energy laid the foundations for a better development of the mercantile interests of Peru. They helped to overcome the traditional feeling that it was beneath the dignity of a Spaniard to be employed otherwise than as a statesman, a soldier, a scholar, or a priest; and among the descendants of Spanish grandees are to be found to-day many active and progressive bankers, merchants, constructing engineers, and “captains of industry,” who are contributing to make Peru rich and prosperous among the nations of the modern world. This spirit is more generally seen in the capital and the seaports than in the cities of the interior, though it is gradually extending to the remotest hamlets.

PRINCIPAL HALL OF THE INTERNATIONAL REVOLVER CLUB, LIMA.

In Lima and Callao, increased attention is paid to business every year, and the days of fiesta, which once numbered almost as many as those devoted to work, are being constantly reduced, even the holidays that remain, though none the less thoroughly enjoyed, having lost many colonial features. Carnival, the gayest holiday festival of the year, is now quite a subdued celebration compared with what it was in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when “Lima was no more than a city of Andalusia transplanted to the New World, with all the extravagances of the romantic, artistic, and audacious spirit of old Seville, Malaga, and Cordova.” The freedom of the Carnival season then pervaded all ranks of society, and for three days no one thought of anything but pleasure. As late as the end of the eighteenth century, the mask and domino were costumes de rigueur for Carnival, and fancy dress balls were given in many private residences. The Viceroy Amat made the Carnival season one of unprecedented gayety, with bull fights, promenades in the Avenida de Acho, and a bal masque at night. One can imagine the charm of these festivities in the delightful climate of Lima, with the soft music of the guitar and the mandolin vibrating on the night air under a dozen balconies, and the dance of the mariquita and the fandango keeping time to a clicking of castanets in hundreds of gayly decorated salas. The saya y manto played its part, and many a jealous episode followed the rivalry among young Limeños for the favor of a glance from the one eye that looked out tantalizingly through a tapada. The custom of deluging the passer-by with the contents of a water-jug was formerly more general than it is to-day, when the little red globo of scented water is the chief weapon of Carnival sport. The globo, when filled, is about one-fourth the size of a toy balloon, and is made of the same material, breaking easily and splashing its contents over the victim at whom it is thrown. Though Carnival is still a merry holiday, modern municipal ordinances are annually restricting its more extravagant features.

THE AMERICAN LEGATION AT LIMA.

The national holiday, July 28th, the anniversary of Peruvian independence, is celebrated with patriotic processions, speeches, and entertainments; it is the opening day of Congress, and is always an occasion of general festivity. The day begins, as do all public holidays in Peru, with religious service in the Cathedral. There are eighteen public holidays, two of which, Independence Day and the feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, the patron saint of the arms of Peru, are recognized as national. The feast of Our Lady of Mercy is held on the 24th of September, and is celebrated with imposing church ceremonies and a magnificent procession, in which the high church dignitaries, with the Archbishop of Lima at their head, are present. The various religious orders, including the Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, and others, form part of the procession, and the army appears in gala uniform and full force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The church service, attended by the president of the republic and his cabinet, is one of especial solemnity, and all Lima does homage to the occasion. The streets and plazas are thronged by sunrise, an eager crowd assembling in front of the government palace to see the president pass in his handsome state coach drawn by eight horses and guided by a smart coachman and grooms. Another annual feast day of importance, at least in the capital, is the 30th of August, the day set apart for the celebration in honor of Santa Rosa de Lima, the patron saint of Lima, the Philippines, and all America. The birthday of St. Joseph (San José), the patron of the republic of Peru, is celebrated on the 19th of March. The remaining holidays are the same as those observed in all Catholic countries.