e, at the commencement
of winter, and in the woody districts in the months of February and
March, melons and Sandyas (_water melons_) are particularly fine.

The figs are of two kinds: the one called _Higos_, and the other
_Brevas_. In the former the pulp is red, in the latter it is white.
They are usually large, very soft, and may be ranked among the most
delicious fruits of the country. Fig-trees grow frequently wild in the
neighborhood of the plantations and the Chacras: and the traveller may
pluck the fruit, and carry away a supply for his journey; for, beyond
a certain distance from Lima figs are not gathered, being a fruit not
easy of transport in its fresh state; and when dried, it is not liked.
Pomegranates and quinces seldom grow on the coast: they are chiefly
brought to the Lima market from the neighboring Quebradas. The
mulberry-tree flourishes luxuriantly and without cultivation; but its
fruit is not thought worth gathering, and it is left as food for the
birds. In the southern province of Yca, the cultivation of the vine
has been attended by most successful results. In the neighborhood of
Lima grapes are seen only in a few Huertas (_orchards_); but for
size, sweetness, and aromatic flavor, there are no such grapes in any
other part of the world.

Of tropical fruits, the number is not so great in Peru as in the more
northerly district of Guayaquil. But there are some Peruvian fruits, the
delicious flavor of which cannot be excelled. One of these is the
Chirimoya (_Anona tripetala_). Hanke, in one of his letters, calls it "a
master-work of Nature." It would certainly be difficult to name any
fruit possessing a more exquisite flavor.

In Lima the Chirimoya is comparatively small, often only the size of an
orange. Those who have tasted it only in Lima, can form but a very
imperfect idea of its excellence. In Huanuco, its indigenous soil, it
grows in the greatest perfection, and often attains the weight of
sixteen pounds, or upwards. The fruit is of roundish form, sometimes
pyramidal, or heart-shaped, the broad base uniting with the stem.
Externally it is green, covered with small knobs and scales, and often
has black markings like net-work spread over it. When the fruit is very
ripe, it has black spots. The skin is rather thick and tough.
Internally, the fruit is snow-white and juicy, and provided with a
number of small seeds well covered with a delicate substance. The
Chirimoyas of Huanuco are also distingu