The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25
UNDER LONDON DOCKS.
4 Glimpse of tho Wine Vaults.
A London letter SAYS :

A London letter says
The London docks, visited by all foreigners
who pass through London. are objects of great
interest, viewing them from the outside, as
harbors where canal crosses canal, till they
extend to city combining the two strange
effects OF Venice with her liquid thoroughfares,
and China with her floating houses.
But under the scene. familiar to every one
from description if not actual view, is q still
more curious sight, which it is more difficult
to obtain. Thanks to the efforts Of q relative
Of merchant who had stores deposited there,
We were provided with pass 10 the wine
vaults Of the East Cooper, or branch of the
London docks. There were six in the party,
and after long. rainy muddy drive through
the old part of the city, past Billingsgate fish
market, where cockney men and boys substi-
tutc the world-renowned fish women Of the
past. and there is less sauce sold with the fish,
past the tower with its many spires and gloomy
battlements, we at length arrived at the en-
trance to the docks. A government official
examined our passes, and we drove on through
4 wilderness OF casks, coils OF rope, and heaps
OF bran, till we reached the door OF cellar No.
4. Going down flight of stone steps, we came
to a sort of vestibule, where, on one side, was
an Office for the examination and signing Of
passes; on the other, o place fitted up with
shelves. having brass eyes like those made to
receive the ends Of door bolts, q long wedge
shaped walnut paddle, with metal lamp on the
gcred, drty-faced individual, strikingly resem-
bling LAMPS" of "5iugby Junction." stood in
the shade of this recess, companion sitting
behind him. whose name was James, and num-
Der tWo as calendar on the wall informed
us. over which was written "Usher through
the vaults for Monday" Lamps placed a
light in each OF cur hands, and We entered the
vaults. Imagine eleven acres of ground, or
rather underground, under streets and below
the water line of the Thames, divided into long
vaultcd alley ways, covered with sawdust, a
double iron track for barrels to roll on running
directly in the centre, on either side three tiers
OF barrels of port. old port wine, amounting in
all TO thirty-fve thousand barrels port alone,
| and you have one of the eighteen large cellars
under the docks. We had the rare privilege of
tasting the port number 000-three different
barrels. Tasting orders arc frequently given
for sherry, but seldom for port, and with
chuckle of selfsatsfactlon our conductor con-
graduated us. But | was already dizzy with the
fumes OBS, 900 barrels, and the fickerilg of our
lamps in the dark archways, penetrated by blin-
ding rays, like ropes of fire, running from and
meeting half way between the reflector, as
powerful as we use on steamsengnes, at one
end Of each alley. and then opening into the
main rotunda at the other end. On the cell
| ings hung the fungus formed from the eyapo-
ration. One piece, called the crocodile, from
its shape, great ridgy animal clinging with
its feet to the ceiling, was a hundred and fifty
years old Nearly all the fungus was of dun
color, resembling the inside nap of lead-color-
cd wadding, but occasionally bleached
white, when it looked like the stalactites In
caves. Our conductor was not so superstitious
about the fungus as Joey Ladle, and declared
''picccs had often fallen on him and he wasn't
dead yet" Still he seemed very proud Of 1t,
and with great reverence hunted around for
the largest and most curious formations, CIV
ing us some little incident, curious and inter-
esiin., about each piece. In the brandy and
whiskey vaults the fungus is all white.
Scarcely knowing whether Twas on my head
or my feet, the Pickering lights and dark edges
of The barrels, fungus. sawdust, people and
posts dancing in wild procession through my
brain, stopped with the rest before row of
barrels marked 900. The usher drove ssa<fp
Steel instrument through the end Of the first
one, bicw into it, and out spurted stream
of pure rich port fifty years old Hoping an
internal application would remedy the dizzi-
ness caused by inhang it, tasted it and felt
! instantly better. but the second and third bar
res dared not try" and even our usher
threw away one glass for which many an cpl
cure would have given fifty dollars sterling.
The holes were filled mp again by sticking
wooden pegs in them, chopping them of, and
leaving the barrels as sound and secure as If
they had never been opened. Emerging from
these cellars, we were glad to enter our car
ragcs, drive home and take nap.