102 GRATE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



the beautiful Star-spangled Banner. In beholding the flag of m}'^ 

 country, I felt rush into my heart a thrill of pleasure and pride. 

 Even without the flag, it was easy to recognize at once our Amer- 

 ican ships. Their high masts, towering far above the forest around 

 them, their sharp-cut bows, their finely -moulded lines, pronounced 

 them American. 



I saw building in the harbor two iron gun-boats. The steel 

 plates were being put on ; they were five inches thick. These 

 boats are meant for the protection of the harbor ; they are an- 

 chored at the entrance, and defend its passage. There were also 

 building men-of-war. Several were completed ; they were all 

 steel-plated. The stone bridge across the Garonne is a very fine 

 work of art. Bordeaux possesses several fine public buildings, 

 of which the theatre is the principal. It is the finest and largest 

 in France. What is most remarkable in it is the architectural 

 beauty of the interior. 



SqAeriiber 16. — The first thing I did this morning was to visit 

 the house of Mr. Alfred de Luze — the largest wine-dealing estab- 

 lishment in Bordeaux, as it also is the most recommendable one. 

 Monsieur de Luze is also consul of Frankfort and of the Grand- 

 duchy of Hesse. The stately old gentleman received us with 

 great cordiality, offering his services for any information or let- 

 ters of introduction that we might need. Offered in the gracious 

 manner that it was, and coming from such a source, I of course 

 accepted it with pleasure, well knowing that it would be the 

 means of making a thorough investigation in this vicinity. 



'Before leaving the ofi&ce, M. Francis de Luze, son and partner 

 in the house, kindly invited us to visit the vaults. Accordingly, 

 myself and my son Arpad followed our polite conductor. We 

 came to the cooper's shop, where a dozen or more men were at 

 work repairing the barrels. Good wine is never put into new 

 barrels. It is a universal custom in Bordeaux, in well-conducted 

 houses, to use for first quality wine barrels which have already 

 contained wine, which has taken out the astringent taste of the 

 wood. These barrels, however, are taken completely apart and 

 thoroughly cleansed, piece by piece. The barrels which wc saw 

 were intended for shipment. 



Leaving the shop, we entered the vaults. Going from one to 

 the other, we saw each filled with wine-casks four and five tiers 

 high. Our steps led us through vault after vault, and each suc- 

 cessive one became larger. Some of these vaults had six to eight 



