The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-03-06
Wine Wants undar London Docks.

The London docks, visited by all foreigners
who yass through London, are objects Of great
interest, viewing them from the outside, a. har-
bJTs, where canal crosses canal, till they extend
D. "A city combining the strange effect Of Ven
Zee with her liquid ~thOrOughfarcs, and China
with her floating houses.
But under this scene familiar 10 every one
from description, II not actual view, j. "a stiii
more curious sight, which l. more difficult o.
obtain. Thanks t. the ol"rts Of a relative Of a
merchant whO had storc- deposited there. We
we've provided with a Ia-s - vine vaults Of the
East Cooper, or branch Of the London docks.
There were xix ia tie party, and after a long,
rainy. and muddy drive through the old flrt Of
the city. Iast Billinggate fish market, where
cOckney men and boys substitute the world re
nywncd feb women Vi the pact, and there j. les
sauce sDid with tie fi-h, Izzt the Tower with it,
many spires and gloomy battlcnents, we at
length arrived at the entrance Of thc docks. 4
government official examined our Iaszc-, and we
drove on through a wilderuc-s Of casks, coils Of
rope, and hcaps Of bran TIL We reached tie door
Of cellar No. !. Going down n fight Of stone
steT-, we came to a sort 81 v~c-tibulc, where Oh
one side, WIS am Office for tic examination and
signing Of Ia-ses Oh tile other. "a place fitted up
with -hclyer, having bTas- eyes like those made 10
receive the ends Of door bolts. n long, wedge
shaped walnut paddle, with a metal lamp on tie
broad end. sticking ia each eve. An Oiiv-fng.r-
81. dirty-faced individual. strikingly resembling
q. Lamps Of q Mugby Junction" stood IN the
shade % tins rccc--, a COMPANION sitting behind
Linn, whosc nlmc was james. and number two.
m a calendar ON tile wall informed az. over which
wac written 4. Usher through tie vaults for Mon
day " LAMPS" placed a light in each Of our
hands, and we entered the vaults. Imagine IL
acres If underground, under the streets and be-
lpw the water line Of the Thamc-, divided into
long yaulied alley WAYS, covered with .awdust. a
double iron track for barrels 20 roll ON running
directly IN thc center, on either side three tiers
81 barrels 81 port. old port wine. amounting in
all % s. 600 barrels of port aiunc-and YOU have
one Of the Is large cellars under the dock. We
had the rare privilege Of tasting the port number
OOu-threc different barrels. Tasting orders are
frequently given Tor sherry, but seldom for port.
and with a chuckie Of Standardization. our CON
ductOr congratulated US But | was already
dizzy with the fumes of 81 900 barrels, and the
~iickering lamIs IN the dark archways, penetrated
by binding Hiys. like ropes of fire, running from
and meeting halfway between the reflector, M
powerful a. We u-c on steam engines, at one end
Of each alley, and then opening into the main
r0tunda Mt the other end. On the ceilings hung
the fungus formed from the constant evaporation.
Onc piece, called the crocodile. from it, shape. n
great ridgy animal clinging with IT. feet 10 the
ceiling, was $50 years old Nearly all Of the
fungus was Of a dun color. resembling the inside
nap Of lcad-c0lorcd w~HdiiHg. but occasionally
hleachcl white, when il looked like the -talactites
m caves. Gun cunuuctIr wac not 20 -uIcr~titIou-
the fungus a. joey Ladlc, and declared
pieces lEid often fallen ON him and be wasn't
lead vet Still Lc seemed very proud Of il. and
with great reverence hunted around for the lars-
c-i and most curious formations. giving III some
little i~ncricnt, curious and interesting, about each
piece. In the brandy and whisky vaults the
fungus J. all white.
Scarcely knowing whether ] was on my head or
,n my feet. thc Pickering lights and dark edges
II the barrels, fungus, slwdu-t. people and pests
inncInS in wild procession through nv brain. I
stopped with the rc-t before q r,w Of barrels
markell uuU. Tie usher drove q sharp steel ia
.uumcut through tIc end Of the first one. blow
t.. AMI uut -pirteI "a STRAIN of pure rich
.rt iity YEAR "ld' Hoping au internal aTIli-