Before visiting Xeres, one cannot have any idea of the variety in flavour, and the various gradations of excellence in sherry; and, after tasting the primest samples of each kind, from the palest straw, up to the deep brown, it is impossible to say which is the finest. I need scarcely repeat again, that it is entirely by the aroma and by the taste—not at all by the colour, that sherries are to be judged. The wide differences in colour, depend entirely upon the proportion of boiled wine; while those slighter shades, perceptible among the pale and light golden wines, are owing to some small difference in the ripeness of the fruit.
A few houses, of the greatest capital, are growers, as well as merchants; but, generally speaking, the wine is bought of the growers when on the lees. The exporter who is also a grower, has an advantage over the other merchant, in the perfect security he has, that no wine of Moguer has been mixed with the sherry. But the merchants are not afraid to trust to their knowledge and experience, in being able to detect adulterated wine; and besides, those who are perfectly accustomed to the trade can tell, before vintage time, by merely looking at a vineyard, within two or three butts of the quantity the vineyard will produce: so that, when one comes to treat for the produce of those vineyards which he has had in his eye, he discovers by the quantity, whether it has been much adulterated with Moguer. An experienced merchant possesses an intimate acquaintance with the quality of the different vineyards; among which, the most essential differences are found, even when they lie contiguous. It is, of course, this difference in the quality of the vine, that creates the difference in price and quality among the genuine unadulterated sherries. In this trade, as in every other, the capitalist has an advantage; for, if he advances a few bags of dollars to the cultivator during the summer, he has the first choice of the November sales, when the article is always cheaper.
It is difficult to say what is the return for land under a vineyard in Xeres; this, of course, depends upon the quality of the produce, and partly upon the convenience of road and market. But all the vineyards of Xeres, require great expense, and unintermitting labour. The following is a summary of the management of the vine producing sherry.
The first operation is to take up the canes, or props, immediately after the vintage is gathered: the second operation immediately follows this; it is, to dig small pits about a yard square round each plant, that the vines may obtain a permanent advantage from the rains. There is then an interval of labour, till after the first rains have fallen; and in the early part of January, when this has taken place, the third operation of the vine-grower is, to prune the whole plant; and, it is a curious fact, that the vineyard which is the earliest pruned, is the latest in budding; the plant too, is always better, the vine stronger, and more firmly rooted. The next operation is to close the pits, in order that the moisture which has been received, may be retained. After this, but a little later, the whole vineyard is dug up, to loosen the soil. The next operation is to free the soil of grass and weeds, by turning it over; and this is repeated once, twice, or thrice, according as the rains may have reproduced the weeds, and rendered a repetition of this labour necessary. All these operations are concluded by the middle of March. When the vineyard has been thoroughly cleared of weeds, the next care of the husbandman is to smoothe the soil, which is done twice, at an interval of three weeks: this done, he cuts off the vicious sprouts at the roots of the plants, which hinder their nourishment; he then pulverises the land to a fine powder, and, lastly, he puts in the stakes to support the coming harvest. These are the distinct operations to be performed in succession, and each at its fixed time: but these do not comprehend all the labours of the vineyard; for, during the whole of this time, there are many lesser cares with which the grower must occupy himself; the most unintermitting and most laborious of these, being the search, and destruction of insects. Such are the toils which are necessary to procure us the enjoyment of a glass of genuine sherry. The Xeres vintage is not considered an uncertain crop; the climate in that country may be depended upon; so that labour is certain, or almost certain of its reward. The wine trade employs, one way and another, the whole inhabitants of Xeres, and Port St. Mary: the latter is a very rising place; it is a more convenient point of export than Xeres, being close to the sea; and new wine establishments are every year springing up there. At present, there are sixteen wine-houses in Xeres, and nine in Port St. Mary: the former would gladly change their position, if this were possible; for the merchant of Xeres has a manifest disadvantage in not being able to see his goods shipped, and put beyond the reach of damage and plunder. At Xeres, it is not always possible to know the state of the weather at sea, and it often happens that a cargo is sent down to Port St. Mary, where it lies many days exposed to both damage and roguery. The city of Xeres itself, possesses no interest apart from that which arises from its wine trade. Good sherry is an expensive wine even at Port St. Mary and Cadiz. The small wine, the vin ordinaire of the district, is about 6d. per bottle; but this, although passing under the generic name of sherry, is not produced from the Xeres grape, though there is so much similarity, that the sherry flavour is at once detected in it. But either at Port St. Mary or at Cadiz, a bottle of good sherry is charged 3s. 4d. in a coffee-house or hotel; and if any thing very superior be asked for, a dollar will be demanded.
After spending one day in Xeres, and another, in riding over the vineyards, I returned to Port St. Mary, where I had also the pleasure of partaking of the hospitalities of its merchants. In the evening I went to the theatre, where I found good reason to be greatly surprised at the license which was permitted on the stage—so opposite from any thing I had before witnessed in Spain. A friar of the Carmelite order, was introduced, as one of the dramatis personæ, and he was made to carry on an intrigue with the daughter of a barber, and to offer her the money which he had just received for some masses; and in another part of the play, a song was sung in evident burlesque of the kind of singing heard at religious ceremonies. With all this, the audience was delighted. But neither in Madrid nor in Seville, nor in any of the towns in the east of Spain, would this have been tolerated by the public authorities; nor would it even have been acceptable to the audience. If the liberal party can be said to be strong in any part of Spain, that part is the country and cities surrounding the bay of Cadiz. I heard several merchants of this neighbourhood express an opinion, that an attempt to revolutionize this part of Spain, would be more likely to be successful than if made in any other quarter. The population of this neighbourhood is large, and would be a formidable party if opposed to the government. The population of Cadiz exceeds seventy thousand, St. Lucar contains twenty-two thousand, Puerto de Santa Maria seventeen thousand, Puerto Real twelve thousand, Isla thirty-two thousand; altogether forming within a very narrow district, a population of one hundred and fifty thousand, without including villages.
The storm that commenced the morning I left Cadiz, had increased; and when I walked down to the quay at Port St. Mary, to cross the bay to Cadiz, I found that that port, as well as the port of Cadiz, was shut; and I was accordingly forced to hire a caleche to go round the bay by land, a distance of seven leagues and a half. I scarcely regretted this, as I should thus have an opportunity of seeing more of the country.
Leaving Port St. Mary, I passed through an almost uncultivated country, towards Puerto Real, skirting the edge of the bay; the country on the land side being covered with furze, and intersected by hedges of magnificent aloes and Indian fig; and with wild olives thinly scattered over the soil; and farther back, were seen the outer ridges of the Sierra de Ronda. As we proceeded, a singular spectacle was presented on the side towards the bay: immense lagunes lay between the road and the sea, thickly sprinkled with white pyramids, and assuming the exact representation of an extensive encampment. These were pyramids of salt: the sea is admitted into shallow reservoirs excavated in the soil, and the salt is formed by evaporation. Nothing can be more uninteresting than the road round the bay, till we enter the Isle of Leon, which is separated from the main land by a drawbridge. Soon after, I reached Isla, which is certainly one of the prettiest towns in Spain; I never saw a cleaner or prettier street, than the principal street of Isla. Every house is of the purest white, and every range of windows on every house, has its green veranda. Isla is a sadly fallen town: the great naval school, and extensive docks of Caraccas, in its immediate neighbourhood, once gave employment to thousands, and life and prosperity to Isla; but now, there is not a ship on the stocks, and not an eléve in the college.
Soon after leaving Isla, I entered upon the long and narrow tongue of land which connects Cadiz with the mainland; the tongue becomes narrower as we approach Cadiz, and during at least a league, it varies from two to three hundred yards broad, including a part of the sands, which are covered at high tide: the causeway itself is not one hundred yards broad. About a mile and a half from Cadiz, I passed a magnificent fortress, called the Cortadura, because it cuts the tongue of land across. This fortress was built in the year 1812, and it entirely covers the approach to Cadiz on the land side; presenting a formidable range of batteries, mounting one hundred and forty guns. Before entering Cadiz, another strong battery must be passed, so that Cadiz may be considered impregnable on the land side; at all events, not to be reduced without immense sacrifices.
CHAPTER XV.
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CADIZ, AND JOURNEY OVERLAND TO GIBRALTAR.
Peculiarities of Cadiz; a Fête; the Ladies of Cadiz; curious Whims and Usages; Morals; the Religious Bodies; Murillo’s last Picture; Mr. Brackenbury’s Pictures; Remarks upon Consular Remuneration; the two Cathedrals; effects upon the Commercial Prosperity of Cadiz, from its having been created a Free Port; State of the Road between Cadiz and Gibraltar; Departure from Cadiz; Chiclana; Morning Scenes; a Venta; the African Coast; Wild Scenery; Dangers of the Road; Suspicious Circumstance; Tariffa; another Venta; Journey through the Mountains to Algesiras; View of Gibraltar; Arrival.