The Duke de la Palata spent the first years of his viceroyalty in resisting the powerful attacks of a party of a thousand filibusters who arrived on the Pacific Coast with a fleet of ships under the command of a Flemish captain named Davis. The viceroy sent a squadron of six ships, provided with one hundred and sixteen cannons and abundant ammunition, to disperse them, and when their scattered forces formed in groups and sacked the ports of Guayaquil, Paita, Pisco, Arica, and others, the duke sent out additional ships, a squadron of volunteers formed of merchants and capitalists gave their aid to the royal authorities, and the enemy was completely vanquished and driven from the coast. In order to be secure against disasters from future attacks, a wall was built around the cities of Lima and Trujillo, by order of the viceroy. The wall of Lima covered about six miles in extent, and had five bastions, and six gates, the work having been completed in three years. In the year 1687 a disastrous earthquake visited Lima, causing the destruction of many edifices and the loss of some lives. The Cathedral was destroyed, and the damage to property was tremendous. But the city recuperated with astonishing rapidity and was soon as gay as ever. [Illustration: ENTRANCE TO A COLONIAL INN, CUZCO.] The question of rebuilding the Cathedral led to a clash of opinion between the viceroy and the Archbishop of Lima, the latter refusing to employ any of his enormous revenues in the work. The viceroy had a powerful enemy in the archbishop, who had held the office of viceroy during the three years that elapsed between the departure of the Duke de Castellar and his own arrival, and the quarrels of these two great dignitaries furnished abundant material for scandal and gossip in the gay capital. Lorente, who has given a graphic and charming description of social life under the viceroys, relates several amusing incidents. On one occasion, during a great national fiesta, when the duke was witnessing the bull fight from the viceregal box, under the crimson canopy of state, it was called to his attention that the Archbishop of Lima sat under a crimson canopy also; the duke at once sent him word that that honor was exclusively reserved for the viceroy of His Catholic Majesty, and the archbishop was obliged to retire from the scene. The state coach, drawn by six horses, which presented an imposing spectacle of luxury in those days, was another object of envy to the eminent ecclesiastic, who realized that as vice-patron of the church his rival exerted an authority which otherwise could not have been claimed by the viceroy. But the archbishop possessed great power and used it effectively in thwarting the viceroy’s plans for various reforms, though the administration was marked by consistent and resolute efforts to improve the condition of the colony. The Real Audiencia was enabled to exercise its authority with greater freedom, and the entire country was