The viceroy has a splendid palace in the royal square, or great quadrangle of the city, which seemed as large as Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields.  His salary is ten thousand pounds a-year, but his perquisites amount to double that sum.  And though his government expires at the end of three, four, or five years, he generally makes a handsome fortune, as all places are in his gift, both in the government and the army throughout all Peru, except such as are sent out or nominated by the king.  The great court of justice consists of twelve judges, besides a number of inferior officers, councillors, and solicitors.  Before this court all causes are decided, but they are too often determined in favour of the party who gives most money.  And, though these vast dominions abound in riches, there is not much work for the lawyers, as the laws are few and plain, which certainly is much better than a multiplicity of laws, explaining one another till they become so intricate that the issue of a cause depends more on the craft of the solicitor and advocate, than on its justice.  Every magistrate in this country knows that his reign is short, and that he will be laughed at if he does not make a fortune, so that they wink at each other; and, so great is the distance between Spain and Peru, that the royal orders are seldom, regarded, being two years in going backward and forward:  Hence arise many clandestine doings.  According to law, the king ought to have a twentieth part of all the gold, and a fifth of all the silver procured from the mines; but vast quantities are carried away privately, without paying any duty, both north by Panama, and south through the Straits of Magellan.  There are also vast sums allowed for the militia, the garrisons, and the repairs of fortifications, one half of which are never applied to these objects.  Hence it may easily be imagined what immense riches would flow into the treasury of Madrid, if his catholic majesty were faithfully served.

The country of Peru is naturally subject to earthquakes.  About fifty years before I was there, or about the year 1670, there were two great ones at Lima, which overturned many houses, churches, and convents.  And in the reign of Charles II. the late king of Spain, there was an earthquake near the equator, which lifted up whole fields, carrying them to the distance of several miles.  Small shocks are often felt which do no harm, and I have been often called out of bed on such occasions, and heard nothing more about the matter; but on these occasions the bells always toll to prayers.  Yet, although this country has suffered much from earthquakes, especially near the coast, their churches are lofty and neatly built.  Such parts of their buildings as require strength are made of burnt bricks; but their dwelling-houses are all constructed of bamboos, canes, and bricks only dried in the sun, which are sufficiently durable, as it never rains in Peru.  Instead of roofs, they are merely covered over with mats, on which ashes are strewed, to keep out the dews.  The small river of Lima, or Runac, consists mostly of snow-water from the neighbouring mountains, which are covered all the year with snow, that partly dissolves in the summer-season, from September to March.