E-text prepared by Julia Miller, Martin Pettit,
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()
from images generously made available by
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LOS GRINGOS:

OR,

AN INSIDE VIEW OF MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA, WITH WAN-
DERINGSIN PERU, CHILI, AND POLYNESIA.

BY LIEUT. WISE, U.S.N.

NEW YORK:
BAKER AND SCRIBNER,
145 NASSAU STREET AND 36 PARK ROW.
1849.

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Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1849, by
BAKER AND SCRIBNER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for theSouthern
District of New York.

Printed by
C. W. BENEDICT,
201 William street.

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PREFACE.

The title—Los Gringos—with which this volume has been christened, isthe epithet—and rather a reproachful one—used in California and Mexicoto designate the descendants of the Anglo-Saxon race; the definition ofthe word is somewhat similar to that of Greenhorns, in modernparlance, or Mohawks in the days of the Spectator. Although many ofthe scenes were passed in those countries, yet the narrative takes awider range, and embraces portions of the South American Continent inBrazil, Chili, and Peru,—together with visits to some of the groups ofthe Pacific at the Sandwich, Marquesas and Society Islands.

The sketches embodied in the narrative were all written on the field oftheir occurrence: the characters incidentally mentioned are frequently noms de mer.

It is not expected by the Author that even the most charitable readerwill wholly overlook the careless style and framing of the work, orallow it to pass without censure; nor has it been his object to deal instatistics, or any abstract reflections, but merely to compile apleasant narrative, such as may perchance please or[Pg vi] interest thegenerality of readers; and in launching the volume on its naturalelement—the sea of public opinion—the Author only indulges in theaspiration—whether the reader be gentle or ungentle—whether the bookbe praised or condemned—that at least the philanthropy of thePublishers may be remunerated, wherein lies all the law and the profits.

  New York, October, 1849.

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CONTENTS.