groups of islands, such as San Gallaro, &c. &c., whose extraordinary forination attracted our attention. Destitute of every trace of vegetation, these islets lay, now shining a dazzling white-Heaven only knows with what-now looking like high sand-hills of curious shape. Large spaces appeared to have worn away, or been fretted away, on the rock-girt shore, till they formed grottos that even stretched across the entire islands, and resembled massive gateways. The three guano islands seemed lower than those above named, and were of a redder colour, not unlike that of scorched heather. The beach looked, every here and there, as if dismembered from the steep, precipitous rocks, strangely sundered into caverns of various shapes. We anchored close to the most easterly of these islands, where were lying twelve merchant vessels of different nations, and a Peruvian brig (man-of-war) to keep order among their crews. The ships were mostly laden with guano for England or North America.

We landed at the southern extremity of the island, beneath an almost perpendicular wall of rock; and climbing a flight of steps, the hewing of which had apparently been a work of great labour, as the ascending of them certainly was, we stood, on gaining the top, in the midst of the only houses on the island. Two or three of these were of wood, but as poorly furnished as possible, and in these dwelt the book-keepers and the overseers of the labourers. The labourers themselves lived in huts constructed of bamboo-sticks and rushes, generally about four ells square, some a little larger, some smaller, but none being more roomy in the inside than the little outhouses one often sees in the country villages at home. They were not floored; in short, they were so rude and comfortless that one could hardly conceive it possible for human beings to exist in them. The persons employed to break and collect the guano, however, could not expect that much attention would be paid to their accommodation, for some of them must have been criminals, to judge from an iron ring round the leg, and others were political prisoners from Peru. Not political prisoners in the European acceptation of the unhappy term, but such poor devils as had played the very inferior part of shouting and hurraing during one of the almost daily revolutions in Peru. Besides these, there were about a hundred Chinese emigrants, who had no doubt gone there to obtain employment; but the loss of whose national queue, or pigtail, betrayed that they had not been very well treated by the other members of the little community, restrained though these were by the rigour of the law. Nothing can be more melancholy than the sight of these miserable creatures. Their faces-indeed their whole bodiescovered with the unsavoury brownish guano dust, their garments in tatters, their countenances, with a few exceptions, in keeping with the chain on their limbs, they look so frightful, that one wonders how any person can remain in safety among them. They seem to amuse themselves by laughing at the Chinese. We were told that the Chinese and the prisoners remained there from four to five years, that they received four piastres a month as wages, for which they contracted to furnish ninety wheelbarrows full of guano per day, and for whatever quantity they could bring over that, they were paid separately, so that they had sometimes an opportunity of earning a spare shilling.

We went to see the place where, for the time being, the guano was, it

might be said, quarried. It was a high, steep hill, on the sides of which each labourer had taken a longitudinal space of about two ells in width, separated from his neighbour's allotment by upright ridges of guano, like walls. Within these enclosures stood the labourer, and with a hatchet broke off the guano, which, thus loosened, fell to the bottom of the hill, where it was packed into a large wheelbarrow and removed to the shore for exportation.

The island itself, in size about eight English square miles, is composed of a mass of rock, on which the guano lies in enormous quantities. By a computation which I heard made, it was asserted that the island could yield 50,000 tons of guano annually for two thousand years. The guano, as every one knows, is the manure of the inconceivable number of sea-birds who have dwelt here, I had almost said since before the creation of man; for, when one gazes on that immense quantity of matter, and remembers that the world is said to be not more than 5854 years old, one is almost inclined to lean to the new hypothesis, which, after all, may be as correct as any other. The guano islands are covered not only with the dirt deposited by the birds-that precious article which sells for 17. sterling per ton-but also with the wings of the birds, their skeletons, and their bones; these substances are pretty much mingled with the upper layers of the guano, but are not found buried in the under strata. It is these which impart the light brown colour to the guano, and the dust from them is whirled about by the wind, falling on everything, and causing the same smell which may be noticed in a hen-house which is not kept very clean. Peru, to whom these islands belong, has rented them to an English company.

When, after having wandered with weary steps through the island, over, I cannot say the fields, but the surface, where no hillock, no tree, no herb, no blade of grass, not even a bit of marshy ground contrasts with the reddish brown tint of the soil, and where the foot, at every instant, sinks into the soft matter on which thousands of birds assemblewhen one then descends to the shore of the island, one does not meet with a less extraordinary spectacle. The sea dashes its foaming billows against the foot of the perpendicular rocky walls which rise to a great height. Above, one looks up to those vast masses of guano which have partially worn away the rocks, and caused large fragments of them to become so loose that they have fallen down to the beach below, where they lie in the most fantastic confusion. The wall of rock is not always smooth and solid; spacious caverns, opening one into another, enormous hollows, and great blocks of dark projecting stone, give them a picturesque and majestic appearance. In every hiding-place, upon each jutting mass, nay, on the smooth and polished rock itself, are perched birds by thousands; some small, with red feet and beaks, and pretty shining wings; some of the pelican species, birds of prey, all screeching most discordantly, in concert with others who are floating upon the waves. Innumerable marine animals live amidst the sea-weed; and if death reigns, and the leavings of death abound in dark uniformity above, here below all is replete with manifold life.

From the Chincha Islands we proceeded to Callao, where we remained three days. On the first day I sauntered about the town, on the second I went to Lima, and on the third to the island of San Lorenzo.

Long before we had reached the harbour, we had been enjoying the

beautiful panorama that was spread before us. Far away in the distance the Cordilleras reared their snow-capped heads towards the sky; nearer to the foreground lay rows of pointed hills, at the foot of which a fertile plain sloped gently towards the sea-shore, where, at the farther extremity of this verdant slope, was to be seen Lima with its white spires, and at the nearest point were situated the houses and fortress of Callao, almost hidden from view by the masts of the numerous ships which crowded the port. The harbour is well protected, on the north and east by the shore, on the south-east by a long projecting tongue of land, and on the south by the hilly island of San Lorenzo; it is only open to the sea on the

west.

On landing at Callao, one is struck with the singular uniform-blue striped linen—of the Peruvian soldiers, many of whom are to be seen in and near the custom-house, and with the heaps of corn piled up without any covering in the open air. But it never rains here. The dew, which falls from eleven o'clock at night till about eleven o'clock in the morning, suffices to give moisture and nourishment to vegetation. A tramway goes direct from the pier to the railway station, which is situated at no great distance from the landing-place; and by this railway goods are transported in less than twenty minutes to Lima, from whence they are sent to different parts of the country. There is also a communication by water between the river Rimar and the harbour. The town itself, as the seaport of the capital of Peru, and next to Valparaiso the most commercial place on the west coast of South America, is, like its harbour, full of bustle and animation. The principal street runs parallel to the shore, with substantial, but by no means elegant, houses and shops. In the centre is a market-place, with a bubbling fountain, and a miserablelooking church, constructed of wood and clay. Other streets lead from the principal one, and farther up the town is the market for fruit, butcher's meat, and many other articles, which are displayed under awnings of sail-cloth, or rushes; white people, negroes, and Indians mingle here, and the noise is almost beyond bearing.

On the outskirts of the town, where the poorer class dwell, the habitations are wretched in the extreme. Here are to be seen huts composed of reeds, formed into walls by means of being attached to bamboo stems driven into the ground. These frail walls are sometimes smeared over on the outside with clay mixed with lime, so that they become firmer; and for a roof the hut has only a sort of mat, on which they strew sand or gravel, for, as it has already been mentioned, the absence of rain renders any waterproof covering scarcely necessary. The whole abode is merely a room without windows, without flooring, without any furniture except a large bed, on which, however, excellent bedclothes are often found. Everything here betokens either great poverty, or a great want of the necessaries of life; and in a country like this, where wages are very high, and people live principally upon fruit, one is surprised that so many needful things are dispensed with.

In the middle of the last century the old town of Callao was entirely destroyed by an earthquake. It was situated south of the present town, which at that time was one of two Indian settlements lying just under the walls of the old Callao. It was a fine city, filled with handsome churches and palaces. The heaving of the ground during the earthquake

overthrew many of the houses, and the sea retired so far that the greatest part of the harbour was left dry land. But it rolled in again at length like one vast wave, and on its fearful onward course it overwhelmed everything that came in its way: human beings and every living creature perished, the remaining buildings were swept off, and not a vestige of the once flourishing city remained. The sea dashed on as far as Bellavista, a small town in the interior, where an iron cross now recals the memory of that awful inundation. No traces of the old Callao are now to be seen, but in very calm weather pieces of wall and the ruins of houses are visible beneath the water on the coast.

The present Callao derives its consequence partly from its being the greatest storehouse of Peru, and the port of Lima, partly from its fortress, San Filippe, which stands at its southern extremity. This place must have been very strong formerly, for it held out long against all the attacks of the insurgents during the War of Independence; and it was the heroic assault and capture of this stronghold that, in 1826, wrested Peru from the Spanish yoke. The greater part of this fortress is now converted into a depôt for goods, and its military importance is far less than it used to be.

Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, and was at first named CIUDAD DE LOS REYES. It lies at a little distance from Callao, at the entrance to the mountain pass, which forms, at an elevation of 500 feet above the level of the sea, the limit to the beforementioned sloping land. Formerly omnibuses and diligences travelled regularly between the two towns; but the great traffic has already called into existence a railroad, and now one goes with ease in twenty minutes from the one place to the other. The railway station at Callao has none of that comfort and luxury which one is accustomed to meet on the continent of Europe. A roof of rushes, upheld by some bamboo-trees, forms the little shed where the tickets are sold. But the carriages and engines are excellent, and are all of English workmanship.

The inclined plane over which one travels has two very different aspects. That portion which lies to the north of the railway is extremely fertile, abounding in rows of willow-trees, and rich in various kinds of vegetation. That portion, on the contrary, which lies close to the ancient Callao and the sea-shore is a mere waste, the barren surface of which is only diversified by half dried-up pools of water, whose white margins extend very far. Everything around conveys the idea of extreme indolence in agricultural affairs. The railway goes straight into the town. The station here is of a very different description to that of Callao, and in turning a corner the stranger finds himself at once in one of the principal streets.

A stranger is much struck with the large balconies and their greenpainted lattices, that hang like gigantic cages from the walls of every house. In them the ladies spend all the cooler hours of the day. The windows towards the street are closely jalousied. Massive gateways lead to a court-yard surrounded by buildings, the walls of which are covered with fresco paintings, representing scenes from the Bible, or from the Grecian and Roman histories, and occasionally from the ancient history of Peru. This first court is generally ornamented with trees and plants growing in tubs and flower-plots; and farther back are two or three other court-yards, devoted to household purposes. One or two

handsome staircases lead to the upper stories, which are often built like à gallery, with curtains falling in heavy folds. The rooms are elegantly furnished, and there is no want of mirrors, paintings, &c.

The lowest stories of the houses are almost all used as shops, in which the newest and richest importations from Paris and London are to be found. I have nowhere in South America seen such splendid shops. Lima deserves, in this respect, its name of "Little Paris." On one side of the great market-place stand the cathedral and the palace of the archbishop; on another side is situated the government house, while the other two sides are filled with private dwellings, having their lowest stories converted into shops and gay bazaars. The cathedral is a fine edifice, built in the Moorish style, its façade painted and highly embellished, and altogether wearing an imposing appearance. The interior is quite in keeping with the exterior. The high altar is very costly; it is encircled by twenty-four columns, which were originally of solid silver, but these found their way to the state treasury, and from thence into the pockets of the government officials and their partisans, and in their place are now twenty-four wooden columns, covered with plates of silver. The bishop's pulpit, its canopy, and the chairs for the other dignitaries of the church, are all of beautifully carved wood. The walls of the side chapels are covered with paintings by Italian masters, and the whole cathedral is filled with gifts from the pious, consisting of pictures, sculptures, and various expensive works of art. There is perhaps no city in America which has so many churches as Lima. There are said to be sixty, besides monasteries and convents. The observations which I have made with regard to the state of religion in other parts of South America also apply in their fullest extent to Lima.

In the centre of the market-place is a handsome but somewhat dilapidated fountain, with numerous jets of water, and surmounted by a statue of Fame. Around this the populace throng of an evening, smoking and chattering together. Proceeding on towards the bridge over the river Rimar, a lovely view presents itself: the distant hills towering one above the other until they seem to touch the skies-the wild mountain streams dashing over their rocky beds, and forming here and there a foaming cataract-the painted houses on one side of the river, and the verdant plain that stretches to the shore-all this is beautiful. The bridge is a favourite lounging-place, where, seated on stone benches, the ladies, as well as the gentlemen, enjoy their cigars. Continuing one's walk in the same direction, one comes to the suburb called Macambo. No more shops are to be seen here, and one only finds the dwellings of the lowest classes. Although these are not merely huts made of rushes, as at Callao, still they are ill-constructed and dirty enough to evince the poverty of their inhabitants. Lima is quite a Spanish town, but the Spanish style of building is modified to suit a place where earthquakes so often occur. The streets all bear names which sound unpleasantly to the ears of Protestants-viz., " Calle de Jesus Maria-Calle de Jesus Nazareno,” &c, There are a great many public buildings besides the churches in Lima, but they have all seen their best days, and seem now only decaying evidences of past prosperity.

The population of Lima, which formerly amounted to 100,000, is now reduced to 40,000, a fact which speaks volumes as to its present condition. It could not be otherwise in a place where internal disturbance,