JOIIANN CARL LEUCIIS ON WINES. 185 



The Red Madeira (Tinto) has a great deal of astringent matter, 

 and can not be used alone without injury to the health. 



In the interior of this island they raise the vines on trees, un- 

 der the shade of which the grapes attain so little of maturity that 

 they must be subjected to a crushing process in order to press out 

 the juice ; but this, of course, gives only a watery, poor wine, that 

 does not bear keeping. 



The Dry or Harsh Madeira is often mixed with the Tinto, and 

 thus exported. It improves by passing the equator ; and English- 

 men ship it and re-ship it for this purpose to the East Indies and 

 back. But now the same result is attained in Madeira by keep- 

 ing such wines in heated rooms, where they will become, in a few 

 months, as good as if kept in a cellar for five or six years. They 

 have had in Madeira, for some fifty years, such apartments, of 

 enormous sizes, heated with large stoves and heat-conducting 

 tubes, filled with barrels and hogsheads, for the above purpose. 



X. 



CAPE WINES. 



The Cape of Good Hope produces three sorts of wine, which 

 are commonly designated Cape Wines. The most celebrated is 

 the Constancia, so called from a mountain of the same name two 

 leagues from the promontory. It may be classed among the first 

 quality wines, second only to the Tokay. This is sweet, spirit- 

 uous, very agreeable in taste, and exquisitely spicy. The white 

 one is a little less sweet than the red one. In former years only 

 some 900 hectolitres, or about 22,950 gallons, have been produced, 

 which was sold at the place of its growth for 80 and 120 cents 

 the bottle, while the common one is sold for one cent. The 

 grapes are left on the vines till they become shriveled. After 

 the Constancia follows, in quality, the Muscat, which is grown on 

 the False and Table Bay. In Europe it sells under the name of 

 Constancia, notwithsLanding its inferior merit. The best kinds 

 of this wine are those of Beker and Hendrik. The third sort of 

 Cape wine is the Stone wine ; though dry, it has a good taste. 

 It is raised in the districts of Gerlen, Drachenstein, and Stellen- 

 bosch. The red wines are there known under the name of Rota : 

 they are somewhat like the Spanish wine of this name. They are 

 dark, of good body and spirit, and a pleasant odor. Recently the 

 quality of the Cape wine has been impaired, because the wine- 

 growers look more for quantity than for quality. In 1806, only 

 6909 pipes were exported ; while in 1817 there were 12,000 pipes, 

 and in 1822, 23,000 ; and since then a constantly increasing 

 amount has been sent abroad. 



