Lima, and telling my story, I was soundly
rated for not shooting some of them. This,
however, was unnecessary; for a robbery
having been committed the next day, a
detachment of cavalry was sent out to attack
these banditti; a regular battle took place
outside the town, and seven robbers were
killed. Their bodies were laid out in the
Plaza de la Inquisition; and, on going to
inspect them, I found that three of them were
my friends of Thursday. The only danger
from robbers is close round the walls of Lima,
where the worst class of negroes, mulattos,
and emancipated slaves abound. Higher up
among the Inca Indians there is less danger.
Revolvers are a great safeguard, and astonish
these marauders amazingly.

After passing a few very agreeable days in
Lima, I was tempted, before my grand
expedition across the Andes, to make another
exploration, and this time to visit the ruins
of Pachacamac. I started at two in the
afternoon alone, a foolish thing to do, as I
found.

Passing through Chorillos, (the Brighton
of the New World) the road, skirting a cemetery
of white-washed adobes, closely hugs
the Morro Solar, a precipitous headland,
at the foot of which are extensive ruins,
built of enormous adobes, the hill itself being
partly faced with them. The road then turns
sharply down into a wood of thorn-trees into
a deep hollow, which present a weird and
unearthly aspect, with great sprawling
branches, leafless, and covered with coarse
cobwebs. Emerging from the wood, the road
winds through a broad and handsome avenue,
bordered by adobe walls and tall willow
trees, leading to the extensive hacienda of
Villar. Fruit gardens, alfalfa fields, maize,
and sugar-cane, appeared in abundance on
either side. The hacienda itself is an extensive
collection of buildings containing a good
house, huts for slaves, outhouses, and a fine
church. Villar has long been infamous for
the lawless character of its slaves; they are
four hundred and eighty in number, and
equal to any atrocity. A few years ago they
killed the Major Domo, and burnt his body,
which not long afterwards was found in an
oven.

The road is still considered the most
dangerous in the vicinity of Lima. Beyond the
hacienda an extensive plain extends to the
sea, and along the coast from Villar to the
great desert of San Juan. It contains several
considerable lakes well stocked with wild-fowl;
and the swampy banks, overgrown with lofty
canes, are frequented by curlew and sand-
pipers. Much of this plain is morass, but
part of it contains pasture for cattle. Passing
the road, it winds up a steep hill, and enters
the sandy desert of San Juan, consisting of
gentle undulations over very heavy sand hills.
This wild ground is six miles broad, and very
fatiguing to horses. At last, reaching the
summit of an almost imperceptible ascent
the vast Pacific Ocean, with three rocky islets
off the coast, breaks upon the view, and
then is seen the cerro, on which is situated the
once splendid temple of Pachacamac. Riding
rapidly down the steep, and skirting the
small chagra of Mama-Cenas, I entered the
city of the dead. It is with a feeling of
mournful thoughtfulness that one passes along
the now deserted streets of this once rich and
populous city. The houses, built of small
bricks, still remain; but the roofs are gone,
and the rooms filled with sand. I ascended
the cerro, and soon reached the temple, which
stands on the summit of three noble terraces.
The remains are not very great, though some
parts of the walls, where the savage hands of
the barbarian Spaniards have left them, rise
to the height of twenty feet, covered with
vermilion paint; it stands about four hundred
feet above the level of the sea, and about half
a mile from it. Marvellous accounts are
related of its great wealth; amongst others,
that the doors were of gold, ornamented with
precious stones, and that the keys and other
appurtenances were alone worth four thousand
marks. I arrived on the sacred spot just at
sunset. The view is very beautiful; but I had
no time to admire it, for after sunset, in the
tropics, darkness comes on so rapidly, that, in
a few minutes there is total darkness. To
prevent this, I bent my steps towards some
huts which I knew to exist on the river
Lurin. On arriving there I selected one for
my habitation that night; for in Peru this
sort of hospitality is shown by the poorest to
every benighted traveller. On knocking at
the door, however, I received no answer,
and proceeded to more effectual efforts;
but this had only the effect, to my utter
astonishment, of bringing round from behind
a crowd of brutal-looking negroes,
exhibiting more the appearance of messengers
from his Satanic Majesty, than earthly
beings. They swore with bitter oaths that I
should not enter. Remonstrance was out of
the question; for no sooner had they uttered
their determination, then they set their
ferocious dogs at me. I had this advantage,
however, in this awkward dilemma, that I had
not dismounted; managing my horse therefore,
so as to give myself time to draw out my
revolver, one of these animals was soon
weltering in his blood. The death of one of
these faithful, but savage animals, roused still
further the ferocity of the banditti, and one
of them rushed at me with his knife. In
self-defence I was obliged to fire again, and
with the same success; for the man fell
apparently lifeless by his faithful dog.
Another shot freed me from further danger;
and, thinking discretion the better part
of valour, I set spurs to my horse, and
was soon out of reach of their wrath. My
object, on finding that I was so mercifully
released from a great peril, was to gain the
plain of Villar on the other side of the desert;
but night had come on, dark as a wolf's