TRAVELS IN 
people ; red wines, from Bourdeaux, are 
thofe generally drank ; and thofe import-* 
ed in the Dutch veflels are always prefer- 
red to the French wines, brought only in 
ill-conditioned calks, in which they never 
keep. ^ 
The average price of this wine is a florin 
the bottle: it however varies according to 
cireumftances ; I have feen it at three florins, 
and fometimes at twelve fous. 
The beer brewed at the Cape is not much 
efteemed; but that of Europe is highly valued, 
and a great quantity of it is confumed. The 
price of it varies between twelve and twenty- 
four fous the bottle. In general, there is a 
great fale for liquors of every kind. 
Thofe who enter a houfe are always pre- 
fented with a fopi^ that is to fay, a glafs of 
rack or gin, or rather of French brandy : gin, 
however, is the liquor moftufed in the morn- 
ing. Before they fit down to table, etiquette 
requires alfo that they fliould be offered a fipi^ 
or a little white wine, in which wormwood 
or aloes have been infufed, in order to excite 
an appetite. 
At table, people drink beer or wine indif- 
criminately. 
