122 VINEGAR INSTEAD OF WINE. 14- Aprii>, 
appearance, when we exchange the word Dag; and on being asked 
if we will not alight, or have the saddles taken ofF, we dismount and 
give our hand, saying " Hoe vaart gy f (How do you do ?) to which 
the answer is, invariably, " Gezond" (In good health). We are then 
invited into the house, and desired to sit down ; or, if the family hap- 
pen to be at meals, are expected to make one at the table. A few ques- 
tions, as to where we come from, and whither we are going, usually 
follow ; and the meal being finished, we are at liberty to proceed on 
our journey as soon as we please. Seldom is any direct enquiry 
made to discover who we are, or even our names. These are the 
ceremonies and reception most commonly met with throughout the 
country. 
Duplessis seemed desirous of treating us well, and boasted 
of having as good wine as any in the colony. He poured us out 
each a glass, and we had already begun to praise its bright color ; but 
no sooner had it touched our lips, than we discovered by each 
other's looks, that we perfectly coincided in our judgment, that it 
v/as the sourest wine we had ever drank. We sipped again ; but 
its acidity was intolerable : yet, as it would have been an affront to 
our good-natured host, to have spoken ill of wine which he called 
the " best in the colony," I made a sign to Polemann that we must 
e'en drink it down, let happen what would ; and, to encourage 
him in a piece of politeness for which he showed but little relish, 
I set the example, by undauntedly taking another sip. He 
had scarcely swallowed the half of his, when our host, who had 
just poured out some for himself, hastily took the glass out of his 
hand, apologising very warmly for having brought us, by mistake, a 
bottle of vinegar. But he spoke too late ; and my fellow-traveller, 
addressing me in English, which was not understood at this house, 
reproached me for having, by an over-politeness, induced him to 
drink half a glass of vinegar. Poor Duplessis was much confused 
at discovering his unfortunate blunder, and immediately fetched a 
bottle of excellent wine, taking the precaution to drink the first glass 
himself 
While the horses were feeding, I made use of the short time we 
stopped here, to take a sketch of the place. A few trees of white 
