THE BORDEAUX WINE DISTRICT. 105 



Thus tlic good people of Havana pay tliirty-onc sous for what 

 they might have had for cloven. See •where a taste for pretty 

 things leads people. There is a still cheaper box which goes to 

 the United States. The third sort goes in tin boxes, round or 

 square. The fourth sort is put into barrels, and is meant for home 

 consumption. Great system is employed in the whole matter. 

 The house now employs eighty-five women and twelve men. 

 Before the war in the United States broke out it employed two 

 hundred and eighty women and thirty-five men. There are many 

 other establishments in this vicinity which are fully as large as the 

 above. 



Many of my readers will be astonished at the magnitude of this 

 trade ; I myself was surprised at its great extent. I knew before 

 that it was carried on on a large scale here, in Hungary, and in 

 Germany, but I never dreamed that it was so extensive. 



Why do not we Californians and brother planters try this trade ? 

 Our soil is much richer than that of Europe, and the method of 

 drying the prunes is comparatively easy. We might, with the 

 greatest ease, furnish all America, North and South. Why bring 

 our goods from afar when we can procure them at home ? When 

 I have thoroughly made my investigation, I will give, at some fu- 

 ture day, the modes of preparing these prunes as practiced here 

 and in other parts of Euroj)e. 



Having fully investigated this house, we went to the chateau 

 of M. de Luze. It is within half an hour's walk from his ofiice. 

 The chateau is an old family residence, lately repaired and orna- 

 mented under the direction of the old gentleman, who prides 

 himself on such things, and displays very good taste. Surround- 

 ing it is a very fine park, which procures him all the pleasures 

 of a country residence. The furniture of the chateau is all in 

 the style of Louis XIV. and Louis XY., and is in the very best 

 taste. We had a very good dinner, and a still better wine. We 

 were here again made to drink of all the best years and of the 

 best growths. The old gentleman lives in an elegant style, show- 

 ing that the wine business is much better, in way of revenue, 

 than that of many ducal estates. We left our kind host late in 

 the evening. To-morrow we will visit Chateau Margaux. 



September 18. — This morning we hired a carriage, and, accom- 

 panied by M. de Luze's nephew, we went to see the wine country. 

 We stopped at the village of Margaux, about eighteen miles from 

 Bordeaux. This is the wine district which has the greatest rep- 



