PREPARATION.
Have two pint bottles and one quart bottle; the pint bottles to be filled, one with a liquid resembling port, the other with one resembling sherry; the large bottle to be at first empty. Three opaque metal stands—the centre one to stand under the quart bottle, to have a large cavity to hold a quart, and the upper part of this stand to be full of large holes, like a cullender, for the liquor to run from the opening at H into that cavity.
Fig. 24.
You must also have three metal covers, of proper size to cover the above three bottles—these covers to have handles at top, so as to be easily lifted. The large centre cover is simply a cover; but the two side ones, which are to cover the pint bottles, must be made with metal cavities large enough to hold, one a pint of port, the other a pint of sherry, at top, with a descending pipe to fall into the mouths of the pint bottles.
Fig. 25.
There must be a small hole at top of each of the small covers, at B and C, which hole, being covered with tinfoil, will, as long as it is closed, prevent the wine from running out at D. But when the tinfoil is scraped off, and the hole admits the air, the wine will then be able to run into the pint bottles.
The above apparatus being all ready, commence by saying: “I will now pour this pint of port and this pint of sherry into the large bottle, mixing them inseparably together.” Having done so, remove the stopper at bottom of the large bottle as you place it on its stand, and immediately place the large cover over it. The mixed liquid will gradually run out into the concealed cavity in the stand.
You must now talk a little magic nonsense, to draw off the attention, while you place the special covers over each of the small bottles, so that the descending pipes in the covers fit in the necks of the bottles. Remove the tinfoil with which you had covered the holes at A and B.