There are in all 211 manzanas, of which those situated on the Periphery
are the smallest and most irregularly constructed. Lima is divided into
five sections, which are again subdivided into ten districts and
forty-six _Barrios_. It contains about 3380 houses, 56 churches and
convents (the latter occupying at least one-fourth of the superficies of
the city), 34 squares or open areas in front of the churches, and 419
streets. On the average the streets are about 34 feet wide and 386 feet
long. Most of them are very badly paved, but they have lateral
footpaths. According to the original plan for building Lima, it was
intended that all the streets should run in one direction, viz., from
southeast to northwest, so that the walls of the houses might afford
shade both morning and afternoon. Between the Plaza Mayor and Santa
Clara this plan has been pretty uniformly carried out; but in other
parts it has been less rigidly observed. At noon there can be no shade,
as the city is situated in 12 deg. of south latitude.

The impression produced at first sight of Lima is by no means favorable,
for the Periphery, the quarter which a stranger first enters, contains
none but old, dilapidated, and dirty houses; but on approaching the
vicinity of the principal square, the place improves so greatly that the
miserable appearance it presents at first sight is easily forgotten.

Most of the houses in Lima are only one story high, and some have only
the ground-floor. The larger class of houses correspond one with another
in the style of building. In front they have two doors: one is called
the _Azaguan_, and is the principal entrance to the house; and next to
it is the door of the _Cochera_ (coach-house). Either above the cochera
door, or on one side of the house door, there is frequently a little
chamber, having a window closed by a wooden railing. At this little
railed window the ladies are accustomed to sit and watch the
passers-by--nor are they very much displeased when some of the latter
occasionally make free to _reguardar la reja_ (to look at the railing).
The azaguan opens into a spacious court-yard called the _Patio_, on
either side of which there are little rooms. Directly facing the
azaguan, is the dwelling-house, round which there usually runs a
balcony. Two large folding-doors lead into the Hall (_Sala_), in which
the furniture consists of a sofa, a hammock, and a row of chairs: the
floor is covered with straw matting. From the