IV PREFACE. 



Mexican states, when I have been travelling, I 

 never asked for lodging without its being imme- 

 diately granted — I never asked for a meal of vict- 

 uals and was refused : the proprietor of a private 

 house would feel himself injured, if you should 

 offer him money for receiving you. You may ex- 

 cept from this rule some poor Indian, who some- 

 times will admit of your offer, when you insist on 

 his receiving some trifle ; but a wealthy farmer, 

 or one a little at his ease, would spurn the idea of 

 selling his hospitality. I speak of none of their 

 qualities but that of hospitality, which by the by, 

 is a great one, and very much recommended by 

 St. Paul. It is true, I lost nearly twenty thou- 

 sand dollars, which were deposited in a store, by 

 a revolution : but, in what country is a man's 

 property safe in revolutionary times ? 



Several Mexican gentleman solicited me to 

 publish this secret in their country, but I con- 

 stantly refused to do it; for I always intended 

 doing it in my own native country — not doubting 

 but that I should meet with encouragement from 

 my own countrymen. I was always jealous of 

 having the honor of being the first that ever made 

 it known to the world. It is probable that the 

 famous Irish "whisperer," Sullivan, who died in 

 1810, possessed the same secret, or some other very 

 much like it, as it appears from the astonishing 



