^0 



ENVIRONS OF XERES. 



commence working the screw, and the must flows with 

 great rapidity. The bottom of the troughs are elevated 

 about 2i- feet above the floor of the cellar, and each has 

 two spouts, under which tubs are placed, and jars in the 

 tubs; and as the jars are tilled, they are carried away and 

 emptied into the butts. When the whole operation is 

 completed, the bulk of the husks or skins is not more than 

 one-sixth or one-seventh of what the grapes appeared 

 when first placed in the troughs. This is almost the 

 universal practice of the country ; but some persons pour 

 a jar of water over the grapes at the same time that they 

 strew the gypsum upon them. And it is usual to add 

 water to the skins and husks, and then to tread and press 

 them again. This yields an inferior wine, but is gene- 

 rally added in the state of must to the produce of the first 

 pressing. It has been observed, that in very dry seasons, 

 the agua pies, as this is called, is almost equal to \.\\eyemaSj 

 or first running. Don Pedro^s cellar contained eight of 

 these presses, all of which were at work ; but he was 

 erecting a press upon scientific principles, the plan of 

 which he had procured from France. I did not wait to 

 examine its construction. The vintagers brought in the 

 grapes as they gathered them, in buckets or pails, which 

 they carried upon their shoulders. I was astonished to 

 observe that so little attention was paid to the quality of 

 the grapes put into the press. I had previously observed 

 in every mule or ass load, which I had seen conveying 

 grapes from the vineyard towards the town, that a large 

 proportion was, decayed, but I thought it probable that 

 some selection would be made before pressing. Here, 

 however, I observed that three- fourths of the grapes had 

 burst in consequence of the rain ; and, perhaps, from one- 

 third to one-half appeared to be far advanced towards 



