ON SPANISH WINE. 61 



Cormack says, the agua pies is better than the first 

 pressing, — now this can only be owing to the over-ripeness 

 of the grape — to its containing too much saccharine 

 matter in proportion to its moisture. Would it not be 

 better to make the vintage earlier ? and., instead of adding 

 foreign moisture, you would then have enough of the 

 natural juice of the fruit, and enough also of saccharine 

 matter, seeing its excess is the most general fault. But 

 this would not suit the hot mouths of your English 

 customers. If you have an opportunity, give me some 

 particulars of the relative value of the albarizas and arenas. 

 I am confident Cormack must be mistaken. I think it is 

 barely possible but that the albarizas must be double, 

 if not treble, the value of the others." 



Thursday^ 10th November, — After encountering a 

 succession of contrary winds and calms, we this day came 

 to an anchor in the bay of Rosas, in Catalonia, the north 

 wind blowing so strongly out of the Gulf of Lyons, that 

 it was impossible to double Cape Creux. I was now on 

 the verge of one rf the most interesting wine countries in 

 France, and was glad of this opportunity of quitting 

 the vessel before her arrival at her destination. But on 

 touching the beach we were informed that we must be put 

 under quarantine, owing to a report that the yellow fever 

 had broken out at Gibraltar, 



Rosas, like most of the other towns I have seen on the 

 east coast of Spain, is backed by steep hills, which are 

 clothed with vines and olives to the very tops. In the 

 distance are the Pyrenees, capped with snow. If one might 

 judge from the state of these hills, contrasted with that of 

 the rich plains of Andalusia, we might draw the conclu- 

 sion, that wherever nature had been bountiful, man had 

 been indolent; but where she had been niggardly in her 



