254 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



wine, as all the men were away ; so we went to a vineyard 

 just opposite, called Chateau Rolland, where we were most 

 hospitably entertained by the proprietor. We first visited 

 the cellers under the house, and he got out some bottles of 

 wine ; then we adjourned upstairs to the kitchen, but the 

 good wife insisted on our going into the parlour. Some of 

 the wine was certainly first-rate (1875 vintage), but of that 

 there was none for sale ; and I did not much care for the 

 1880 vintage, though mine host said he had sent twenty 

 barrels of it this year to the chamberlain of the King of 

 Sweden, whose photograph he showed us, and who is an 

 excellent customer. His price was 450 francs for a barrel 

 of three hundred bottles, including corks, labels, and bottles. 

 The good man had lately returned from Australia, where 

 he had been for his health ; and, after a three-years' stay, 

 returned quite set up. He certainly looked stout and hale 

 and hearty. But I was quite distressed that, after drinking 

 half a dozen bottles of his wine, besides biscuits, he refused 

 any payment. We then returned to our hotel for dinner at 

 four. Afterwards we strolled about the town ; I bought a 

 Basque cap, and my companion some sabots for gardening. 

 The houses and shops are all built of, or at least faced with, 

 a stone which appeared to me a kind of oolitic limestone ; 

 this gives an exceedingly clean look to the town. It was 

 a great treat to see so many pretty, smiling, rosy-cheeked 

 lasses, with their neat caps or gay handkerchiefs, after a 

 year without looking on a healthy colour, except in the 

 Germans of Petropolis. Going off by the 7.30 boat, we left 

 our anchorage about ten. 



August 1 8. The Bay of Biscay still like oil. Off Bel 

 lie at midday, and Ushant at 10 p.m. 



August 19. Off the English coast at 6 a.m. The ship 

 rolled a great deal all day much more motion than we 



