and the visitor must be blessed with a large amount of endurance who can
patiently sit out a whole evening's entertainments.
Not far from the theatre is situated the circus for cock-fighting
(_Coliseo de gallos_), where fights (_peleas_) take place daily. The
Coliseo is a large amphitheatre, with an arena in the middle. The
game-cocks trained for this sport have the spur removed from the right
foot and in its stead is substituted a small sharp steel blade, curved
and shaped like a scythe. One or other of the animals is frequently
killed at the first spring; and when that is not the case they continue
fighting until they die of wounds and exhaustion. It is a cruel sport,
and a worthy pendant to bull-fighting. The first Coliseo was erected in
1762, by Don Juan Garrial. The present building, in the Plazuela de
Santa Catalina, is a very handsome structure, and Lima may fairly boast
of possessing the finest circus for cock-fighting in all the world.
In the same square with the _Coliseo de gallos_ is the tennis-court,
a spacious area, surrounded by high walls. It is not now so much
resorted to as formerly, for the Creoles are not so fond of tennis
as the Spaniards.
A beautiful stone bridge unites the town with the suburb of San
Lazaro. This bridge was built in the years 1638-1640, when the Marquis
de Montes Claros was viceroy of Peru. The plan was designed by Fray
Geronimo Villegas, an Augustine monk. It is 530 feet long, and has six
arches rising thirty-seven feet above the surface of the water. The
foundation of the piers is composed of square blocks of stone, the
piers themselves are of brick, and the parapet of cemented stone work.
The erection of this bridge cost 400,000 dollars. A sufficient proof
of its strength and solidity is the fact that it survived the
earthquakes of 1687 and 1746, which shattered all other parts of Lima.
In the earthquake of 1746 the first arch, on which stood an equestrian
statue of Philip V., was destroyed, but it is now restored. It has on
one side two towers, with a dial in the middle.
The city of Lima, with the exception of a portion of the north side,
and the suburb of San Lazaro, is surrounded by a wall built of brick.
This wall was constructed in the year 1585, when the Duque de la Plata
was viceroy. It is the work of a Fleming, named Pedro Ramon. This wall
is between eighteen and twenty feet high. Its breadth at the base is
from ten to twelve feet, and at the top nine feet. It do
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