SECTION IV.

THE VINE-VINEYARDS.

EDWARD, light-hearted and gay, being invited by an old peasant to share their mirth, willingly accepted the offer, and was in a short time as merry and as brisk as any one of them. Colin himself could scarce resist the inclination to join them, and more than once he forgot himself, and gave them a specimen of a Highland fling. He was indeed so joyous at having reached a comfortable resting place, that when he heard they were to resume their journey on the mor row, he felt something like chagrin.

The earliest introduction of the vine into the western parts of Europe is stated to have been about the year 280, under the immediate sanction of Probus, the Roman Emperor, who, throughout his whole dominions, was a zealous encourager of agricultural pursuits. There can be no doubt that vines were anciently propagated in our own island for the purpose of wine, and that there were vineyards of consi derable extent in Gloucestershire, Hampshire, and some other counties; but, as vines are principally found to flourish in inland countries, lying betwixt the thirtieth and fifty-first degrees of latitude, it is evident that there can be no part of Great Britain sufficiently adapted to their successful cultivation.

Any person who has seen a hop garden, may easily form an idea of the appearance of a vineyard. Vines are usually propagated by slips, cuttings, or offsets from the roots. These, when they have attained a sufficiency of roots, are transplanted from the nursery ground into the vineyard, the soil of which ought to be light and rich. They are placed in this ground in rows and at regular intervals, leaving space sufficient for the vine dressers, and the reapers to pass betwixt them; and as soon as the rooted plants are three years old, they begin to bear fruit. The season for pruning and dressing them is the early part of the year, before the sap begins to rise; and, about the time when the flowers appear, the plants are fastened to poles, for the purposes of supporting them, of preventing them from growing entangled with

each other, admitting a free circulation of air amongst them, and affording greater convenience for gathering the fruit.

The vintage, which is a season of mirth and delight to the whole country, commences in the early part of autumn. The villagers assemble in the respective vineyards under the direction of overseers. The reaping of the grapes is in general performed in three distinct gatherings. The first of these comprehends all the finest and ripest bunches, carefully clearing away from them every grape that appears green or decayed; the second is confined to the large and thick clusters which are not so ripe as the others; and those which are nearly green, withered or decayed, are gathered last.

To obtain the juice from the grapes they are thrown into large presses of somewhat similar construction to the cyder presses of our own country (the separate gatherings being still kept apart) and the juice is received into vessels fixed for that purpose. Afterwards it undergoes the necessary fermentation to convert it into wine. By the ancients, the juice was obtained by treading the grapes. This custom is still practised in many parts of the world. The ancients frequently kept their wines in skins, or leathern bags, well secured at the seams.

"Well now, Edward, having partaken of the mirth of the "vintage," said Dr. Walker, as they quitted the festive scene, "let us discuss the nature and properties of the grapes, of vinous fermentation, and so forth."

"If mucilaginous saccharine vegetable substances under a proper combination of water and heat (from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit), be not entirely excluded from air, they experience in a very short time a striking change in their mixture. An internal commotion takes place, the mass grows turbid, a large quantity of air-bubbles is discharged from its inger part, which, on account of the toughness of the matter wherein they are inclosed, form a stratum on the surface of the fluid, known by the name of yeast. These air-bubbles consist of carbonic acid gas.

"After a time these appearances cease; the fermented liquor becomes clear and transparent, and no more gas is disengaged. The liquor now has lost its sweetness and viscidity, and has acquired the vinous taste and intoxicating quality.

"Wine is made in this manner from the juice of the grape; if the fermentation be checked when at its height, by excluding the air, the wine begins to ferment anew, and effervesce when again exposed to it. The sparkling wines, as Champaign, &c. are prepared in this manner, and hence should be considered as imperfect wines.

"Not only the juice of the grape, but all mucilaginous substances, containing sugar, are capable of the vinous fermentation.

"To prepare vinous liquors from grain or corn, they are converted into malt; by this process, the gluten which forms the germ is separated, and the fecula appears to be converted, into sugar by the germination of the seed. From malt, beer is made by extraction and fermentation.

"If wine, beer, or any other fermented liquor, be distilled, a fluid is obtained which is colourless, of a strong heating taste, a penetrating odour, and an intoxicating property. This is alkohol, ardent spirit, or spirit of wine. In this state it contains a quantity of water. If this alkohol be re-distilled, and reduced to two-thirds, it is obtained very pure, and is called rectified alkohol. Alkohol is very inflammable and volatile; it dissolves resins, essential oils, camphor, sulphur, phosphorus, &c. It is composed of hydrogen, carbon, and a small quantity of oxygen.

Strong acids and alkohol have a considerable re-action on each other; and this produces ether, which is a very volatile, inflammable, odorous fluid. Nitric acid with alkohol, produces nitric ether, and sulphuric acid with alkohol, produces sulphuric ether."

"And now for the vine. Vines constitute a very important tribe of shrubs; to which we are indebted for all our foreign wines, raisins of every description, and the small currants of the grocers' shops. The most important however of the whole tribe of vines is the vitis vinifera of Lin

næus.

"The juice of unripe grapes has a harsh, sour, and rough taste. This, under the name of verjuice, was formerly much esteemed for culinary and other purposes. The young twigs of the vine, when dried, cut into small pieces, and moistened with water, afford an wholesome food for cattle and horses. The leaves and tendrils have an astringent taste, which it is probable they would impart to British made wines, and thus render them somewhat similar to foreign wines. The wood of the vine reduced to charcoal, is used by painters for drawing outlines; and from the seeds or stones a kind of oil is sometimes made, which can scarcely be distinguished from olive oil. These stones, when purified, moderately roasted, and ground to a coarse powder, form a toterable substitute for chocolate.

"In addition to the preceding uses of the vine, we have to add those of its fruit in a recent state, called grapes, as a delicious addition to our desserts; and of this fruit, in a dried state, under the appellation of raisins and currants.

"Raisins are grapes which have been suffered to remain

on the trees until they have become perfectly ripe, and have been dried. This is sometimes done in ovens; sometimes the clusters, being tied several together, are dipped in a ley of the ashes of rosemary and vine branches, with a certain portion of slaked lime, and then dried by exposure to the sun. The best fruits of this description are the sun and jarraisins; both of which are dried in the sun without any preparation. These are imported from the southern countries of Europe; and also from the Asiatic provinces of Turkey. They are principally used for desserts, whilst Malaga raisins and some other kinds are employed for culinary purposes, and the making of wine.

"The currants of commerce are a small kind of raisins, or dried grapes, which are produced in the Grecian Archipelago, and particularly in the islands of Zante and Cephalonia. The chief plantation of these grapes was anciently in the isthmus of Corinth, whence they obtained their name of "Corinths," since corrupted to currants. Few, however, are now produced there, the vineyards having been neglected from the jealousy of the Turks, not allowing large vessels to, enter the gulph for their exportation. These grapes have. no stones, are usually either of a red or black colour, and, when recently gathered, are an extremely delicious fruit.

"The harvest commences in the month of August, and as soon as the grapes are plucked from the trees, they are spread to dry, upon a floor prepared for the purpose by. stamping the earth quite hard. This floor is formed with a. gentle rising in the middle, that the rain, in case any should, fall, may run off, and not injure the fruit. When sufficiently. dry, the currants are cleaned, and laid up in magazines, being poured into them through a hole, and stowed so closely that it is necessary to dig them out with an iron instrument.. They are packed for exportation in large casks, and by persons who have their feet greased in order to tread them close.

"The principal consumption of currants is in England; but the inhabitants of the islands from whence they are brought know little of the use we make of them. They imagine that we employ them only in the dyeing of cloth, and are entirely ignorant of our luxury of Christmas pies, and plum puddings. A small but inferior kind of currants are grown in some parts of Spain.

"So much for the grape which we shall see in greater perfection in France than in Switzerland."

SECTION V.

JOURNEY TO BERNE.

On the following day they resumed their journey, receiv ing additional proofs at every step of the frank and generous hospitality of the inhabitants of these Alpine regions. Brave, hardy, and independent, they traverse their mountainous country with an air of happiness that is not always to be met with in the countenances of the peasantry of more enlightened nations. Their agility and grace, as they bound from one precipice to another, with as much ease as their own wild chamois, forms one of the most striking features in their personal character. Oftentimes did our travellers start at seeing the hunters of the Alps in pursuit of their prey; venture to the very edge of the most frightful precipices, climbing up such perpendicular rocks as seemed almost inaccessible, or with the assistance of their long poles, gliding rapidly down such snowy steeps as made them shudder even to look at them. There are many casualties to be met with ins these Alpine regions, besides those which may overtake the unwary traveller from the fall of Avalanches, or the danger there is in leaping the fissures of the rocks. There are bal

The

samic waters which are drank by the inhabitants for fevers,.. and various other complaints; but these same waters possess also most baneful qualities; for it is said, that persons laying down in their vicinity, are seized with numbness, and sink. ing apparently into a profound sleep, wake no more.. fatal effects of gathering flowers, Edward experienced the day after they set off from Thun. On passing one of the mountains, the Doctor being weary, they chose a recess in the rock, as a good resting place for him, till the heat of the day was gone by. Edward, however, wandered about in its vicinity, but his long stay at length alarmed his friend, and the guide set off in search of him and his companion Colin. He found then in a state of stupefaction. Edward was indeed, to all appearance, lifeless; the Highlander was not so