Page:The Present State of Peru.djvu/341

Rh chapel of our Lady of the Rosary, founded, at the expence of the nations in question, in the great convent of Saint Domingo. Those who are allowed to vote are the negro chiefs (capataces), and the twenty-four, who may be denominated senators, belonging to each nation. The chaplains of the communities are present at the election; and the choice invariably falls on the most ancient individuals, having to boast their descent from the founders. The names of the persons thus elected are entered in a book kept for that purpose, without any influence or concurrence on the part of the high judiciary court.

The same formalities are observed when a subaltern corporal, or any one of the twenty-four brethren, is appointed for either of the nations partially; but these individuals, on their admission, are made to contribute, the corporal ten piastres, and the brother twelve. The one half of this money is applied to the worship of our Lady, and the other half to the purchase of the refreshments distributed among the electors, whose decisions are entered in the book above cited.

These dignities procure their possessors much consideration on the part of those who belong to their tribe; but in whatever concerns their slavery and services, are absolutely useless, and do not afford them any relief. It is deserving of a smile, or rather of compassion, to see the sovereign of an African nation set out, with his subje6ts, at two or three o'clock in the morning, to mow the grass, and occasionally receive at their hands the stripes to which he is sentenced by the major-domo.

By the means of half a real subscribed annually by each individual, these African nations are enabled to defray the expences of the worship of our Lady of the Rosary. On the Sunday after the feast of Corpus Christi the contributions are laid