Page:The Present State of Peru.djvu/282

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242
CUSTOMS AND MANNERS.

men men, who are so sharp sighted in discovering the little defects of the women, should have passed over in silence those of the men, all of which are comprized in the person of this Yaco, with whom, I assure you, I am already seriously disgusted.

As a companion to the subject of Plate XI. a male inhabitant of Lima, of the same condition with the female there represented, is introduced in Plate XII.


THE PERUVIAN PETIT MAITRE.

The following sketch, in which this subject; is facetiously handled, is supposed to be addressed by a person who has made an excursion to Lima, to his friend in the country.

Beloved Leander! I cannot refrain from admiring the promptitude with which you require of me information relative to the customs of the inhabitants of this capital, although, if you abstract the time employed on my journey, you can scarcely consider me as having resided here twenty days;—a very limited time for such a task. You, who made this your residence for several years, must be well acquainted with these customs; and I therefore think that your request is merely an attempt to know how I practise your lessons. Be this as it may, I shall endeavour to comply with it.

Among the rare and agreeable objects which present themselves here at every step, the greatest impression has been made on me by a description of men who appear to be oppressed by the dignity of their sex; inasmuch as they endeavour to belie nature in a scandalous and ridiculous manner. What would

our