EPERNAY. 83 



considerable majority. His election was petitioned 

 against on the ground that he was an alien ; he how- 

 ever proved his nationality, as his father and himself 

 had become naturalized some years before. 



After this most enjoyable visit we returned to Paris, 

 where I was glad to meet my two eldest daughters at 

 the Hotel du Louvre, where they had arrived on the 

 same day from Boulogne. I left my two young travel- 

 ling companions to escort them around Paris, whilst I 

 went on a visit to my friends, Messrs. Moet and Chandon, 

 the chiefs of the noted Epernay House, celebrated 

 throughout the world for their well-known brands of 

 champagne. I was fortunate, after a delightful journey 

 from Paris, in finding the head of the firm at home 

 — a fine old gentleman of courtly and most agreeable 

 manners, who treated me in the kindest way, and walked 

 with me through the town of Epernay up to the hills to 

 his extensive vineyards, by far the largest in France. 

 The vintage had begun, so that I was in time to 

 see the gathering of the grapes by hundreds of men, 

 women, and children, assembled together from all 

 quarters — a most picturesque scene. After walking a 

 long time the old gentleman — then of seventy-seven 

 years of age, walking briskly by my side — looking over 

 the valley of the Marne, which river formed a beautiful 

 addition to the landscape, pointed out the various 

 districts visible from the high ground on which we 

 stood. Ay about five miles away, Sillery a little below 

 us, Bouzy almost adjoining ; but the chief district was 

 Epernay itself, where Messrs. Moet have 1200 acres ot 

 vineyards. 



