Analysis of Wines from « , Palestine, §&c. 255 
2m to be quite weak. I in- 
th is not above the average in 
iin the analyses of Brande, 
Beck, Fontenelle, é&c. we shall see that they rank among the 
stronger wines. 1d 1 his is just what the chemist would 
expect. For if thoieal ntries furnish the finest grapes, they 
arge amount of the sugar and ferment requi- 
site for the production of alcohol.* 
‘In the second place, we have every reason to believe that the 
ancient wines of the countries under consideration 
essentially the same character as the modern wines made there 
There has been no important change in the climate, and of 
course the grapes now produced there, are the same essentially 
as in ancient times. If the wines are different, then, it must be 
the result of different modes of making them. And I am not 
aware of any important difference in this respect, unless it be in 
those cases (and whether there be any such cases I know not) in 
which the wines are enforced by the addition of distilled liquor : 
but such a case affects not my present argument, because I have 
analyzed only those which are derived from the pure juice of the 
ape. Much indeed has been said about the practice of the an- 
cients of boiling down the juice of the grape more or less, before 
allowing it to ferment. But the same practice exists now, nor is 
there any reason to believe that it was ever general, but resorted 
to only to furnish an agreeable variety. And it so happens, for- 
tunately, that one of the specimens analyzed, viz. from Mount 
Lebanon, is a wine thus prepared ; and it may stand as a repre- 
sentative of that class of wines. It is, indeed, the weakest wine 
of the number ; and we learn from this fact that this process does 
affect the amount of alcohol. And yet this specimen contains 
about eleven per cent. of pure alcohol, and twenty two per cent. 
country, shows that he suppo 
cline to believe that their s 
those countries; and yet 
s 
* Since the above was written, I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Van 
Lennep in this country, and he confirms all the statements made in the text re- 
Specting the strength of the wines. He is even of opinion that those from the 
Reighborhood of Smyrna are below the average strength of the wines of that re- 
gion. Rev. Mr. Sherman, also, who obti ained the. anges from “ait vitality of 
than the average of wines in that region. The Speciale from Mount Lebsncu 
were procured “a Rey. Leander Thomson, who is also in this country, but I have 
hot met with him 
