Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XV A few months later I gave up my position as cook, but remained for a short time boarding in the hotel. I then started out into the world again, and although more than twenty-five years have passed since then, I still look back with pleasure to the days I spent in the kitchen. I had rema'ined much longer in California than I at first intended. The charming surroundings, and glorious climate were so tempting that I postponed from time to time my intention of joining the Mexican army. My republican ideas, my love of freedom and liberty, my enthusiasm for equality and the natural rights of men, were not strongly developed in those days. My only desire was to see the world, and I did not realize that it was a disgrace to fight for the cause of a hard-hearted, ambitious despot, and the suppression of a free and heroic people. My ideas have changed since then. At last I took leave of my dearly beloved California, and embarked for Acapulco in Mexico. This city, the principal sea-port of the State of Guerrero, was of considerable importance during the time that Spanish tyranny dominated most of the world. For almost three centuries it was the headquarters of all those who carried on the trade betweenSpain and the Phillippine Islands, which at that time were under the rule of the viceroy of Mexico. From here the celebrated Spanish Naos sailed every year for Manila, and returned within the following twelve months laden with treasure, products of the Philippines and other goods of value from Asiatic countries. In consequence of the war, begun upon so frivolous a pretext by the third Napoleon, Acapulco renewed her activity in some small degree. In the beginning of the campaign it fell into the hands of the French, and on account of its strategic importance, Maximilian... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.