The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-30


Having just arrived from Rheims, snatch an hour
result Of q visit Of curiosity which I hsve made to
the champagne districts Of France.
America Is now the chiefest consumer Of cham.
payne wines. There is more champagne sent from
France to the United States, chan to any, or all
other countries might add more than is nov
made in Champagne itself more than is nov made
in all France, embracing the spurious With the
genuine-even the bad French champ agne with the
good.
This humbug-and IL is an enormous one-ought
to be exposed. ! feel inclined to do something to
help on contamination 60 devoutly 70 be wished.
have got possession Of some facts which think
ought to be known to the American people; and
as / have occasionally written for your journal,
during the many years that have spent in Europe
tIust You will not consider the information now
communicate as unworthy Of place in Jour
columns
Before came abroad the last time / ascerta!ned
that at the various custom houses OF the United
States nearly three times as much champagne was
entered for the payment of duty as the custom
houses Of France showed had been exported 10 tie
United States.
Now, this fact demonstrates first, that { 70 bot.
ties out Of every three Of champagne brought into
the United States was spurious; sec0n1, learn ed
United States as is imported into our country.
Now, If New York sold all the champagne that is
sold in the United States, this would only give US
OF bottle in ten Of genuine champagne II we go
8 little further, and take the whole quantity of
champagne made in France, aud examine the re-
cords OF exporting houses, a. well as Gust om
houses, we shall fix that the poorer qualities only
with few exceptions are sent to America. And II
that not OF bottle in hume red drank by the Anne
icaDs il Of the best quality made in the champagne
districts. 1t would not be extravagant to reduce
This estimate one-hslf.
Ihave been speaking only Of past vintages-say
for five years. The vintages Of three years ago
we've gO,d. For three years they have been blight
ed, while this year the champagne crop has been
cut off to such extent that the Is not one tenth
of the usual crop. Scarcely any Of the best quality
all the best qualities Of French wine have this year
risen fifty per cent; consequently none but
the first class dealers can furnish Their usual
supply Of genuine champagne. Great houses
like Cliquot, Blesart Salmon, Schneider, Ruinart
&c, will find their brands initiated and forged to
greater extent than ever. visited some Of these
Establishments; but the one which seems to have
been most exempt from the wineblight, is that OF
Bill ecart. Ispeak Of this b0use, because, during
several years Of residence in Europe, have found
their champage more highly priced in the best
circles. than any other.
While was in the champagne districts, / sought
an opportunity to visit the vineyards Of the moss
celebrated houses; but after several rather unsatis
factory reconnaissance fell in with an intimate
friend Of N. Blecart himself and it would be poor
return for his courtesy If did not recognise the
kind attentions he showed to me. He had under.
stood that I was an American, DESTROYS Of looking
through the champagne districts, and proposed to
take me on a view through the vintages owned by
himself ard his family. II seemed to be the best
land in MaIeuil, Bouzi, Verzendy and Rheims.
When our long ride was over, he sh ,wed through
his vaults stored with wine Of three or four vim
tages.
gathered from what learned from NJ. Bllecart
Salmon as well fir other sources that these large
houses could move along In their regular course OF ou
siness for one, or two even three years. without
serious interruption, even II the vintages should
fail knew very well that the Russians. with VIII ON
have been, drsnk the best wine male in Cham.
made by the houses Of Bilecart Salmon, Cliquot
and Schneider, were consumed by the curtis Ut Eu-
rope; end wondered that so large an amount of
wine covered by the labels Of Cliquot and Schroeder
the house of Ciquot had sent to The United States
only Iimit amount for few years, while, to
look their labels in the United States, woul
tliL tbat they cad sent baskets by TIE hunjred
t. Isand. So far Billecart Samou's wine Is COZ
c rrsc do not think the AmeFi ans kno y anytei 4
about it. l bad not seen it there whea left The
Usn,d States, two years ago. But 1t is esesmei ~
Europe rs fully EQUAL, ard by many. as superb II, to
a y othsr wine OF c ampagne.
Etymology Of the Geographical Title
Greenland.''
ELMIRA, N. Y, Oct. IS 1854
TO THE EDITOR OF TILE NEW YORK HERALD.
An interesting article under the ab1v
caption, from Washington correspondent, ap'
ptared in your paper Of Tuesday morning last,
in which the writer labors at some length aud with
much ingenuity, to enlighten Dr. Hayes, Surgeon OF
DR.. Kare's Arctic Expedition, with regard
to the origin of the title Greenland
The Dr., it seems, is somewhat puzzled to know
why SO dreary and desolate region should have
been thus named; and your correspondent, to use
his language, begs to be permitted the privi-
lege Of explaining the reason why it is so called,
while its barrenness and sterility seem papably
to contradict our idea of what the name Imports"
His hypothesis is, that Greenland was verify
"gIeen" to its first discovsrers; and hence its
name. In proof Of this theory he introduces
the navigator Davis, WHO testi6ss that
curing his first voyage, Tin the latitude Of sixty.
four degrees or there about he s'found many green
ard pleasant Ills bordering upon the Shore but the
mountains Of the maine were st covered with great
quantities OF srowe" This is certainly very all
horn on which to hang 30 expressive lame, but
in TIE absence of everything else it might perhaps,
be deemed satisfactory. In attempting to make q
clear case Of however, your correspondent should
have introduced the first DISCOVERIES Of Greenland,
and proven BY them that i was so named because Of
those "green ills, instead of dgnfying his specula-
tions by the name OF an explanation, and leaving
the Dr. and the public as ignorant as he found them.
Davis named Greenland and very appropriately,
too Desoa,on; and HE desert ton of the country,
the "ereen Ills included is almost enough to freeze
ones blood.
A noted modern historian in treating Of IL, says:
Land, properly speasitg, cannot be said to exist
in Greenland. The only thing approaching the ma
tue Of earth occurs along the br6k ken crags OF the
in.ts, or on me numerous rocky islands scattered
along the coast, where are to be seen some small
patches strips of thin soil In these spots
alone vegetation appears; but it ia no hing more
tisn grass, low brush wood, and lchens. In well
sheltered valleys birch and elder shrubs grow some
'nes 10 the height of mans head; and this is the
nearest approach to tree that has been made III
Greenland. IL the extreme south potatoes have
btn raised but all attempts to cultivate grain have
lsen unsuccessful. The cold Ia 80 intense in winter
that even ardent spits freeze Ia room where there
ia fire. In February and March 1t Is 80 powerful
ss to split the rocks and cause the sea 70 smoke like
a furnace. = July is the only month in
which there is no snow; but it does not he long till