A night watchman’s account of a riotous tavern in Lima, 1822
English Translation
| I arrived in the Street of the Seven Pests, and in the tavern set halfway along it by the aforementioned Monteblanco (the owner), I was warned by my retinue, of the uproar made by the gathering of various people of both sexes who were on the second floor of the tavern which had a back room leading onto the adjacent alleyway. They were getting drunk, and to the sound of a harp and guitar, were dancing with all the indecency customary to people of this [low] class, in which state I found them. This, along with the poor state of the tavern obliged me to inspect the permit which should have been granted to establish this tavern. Given that the tavern not only failed to comply with this requirement, but also violated the ordinance published by proclamation on the 21st of August 1821, which stated that there are not to be gatherings in such houses, and dictated a fine of 25 pesos, which I imposed...[the ordinance] then dictated the closure of this tavern for having been found open during the night, repeating the same disorderly conduct and drunkenness for which I reprimanded them in the afternoon, as I have stated... |
Spanish Original
| Llegue a la calle de siete jeringas y en la chingana puesta en su mediania por el citado Monteblanco [el dueño] se me advirtió por mi comitiva, el alboroto que formaba la reunión de varias personas de ambos sexos que en la segunda pieza de dicha chingana que tiene correspondencia al callejón contiguo, estaban embriagandose, y al son de arpa y guitarra bailando con la indecencia que acostumbraba gente de esta clase, en cuyo acto los encontré; lo que unido a la poca habilitación de dicha chingana me obligo a inspeccionar el permiso que se le habia concedido para ponerla, y respecto a que no se lo carecia de este requisito, sino que tambien quebrantaba el precepto publicado por bando del 21 de agosto de 1821 de que no haya reuniones en dichas casas, originaron la multa de 25 pesos que le impuse y originando la serradura de dicha chingana por haberlos encontrado en la noche, reiterando el mismo desorden, por lo que respecta a la reunión y embriaguez que los reprendí en la tarde como he dicho... |