The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-02
A CURIOUS ANIMAL.
That Produces Good Vlnegsr.

Af
NJ. Hue says. Before arriving at
Nan tchapg fou; ne stopped at 4
sort OF guard-house to allow the hot
test time of the day to pass, and we
were very graciously received BY a
Mandarin with white ball who had
about fiit5en soldiers under his com"
mand The refreshments that he
offered Us were indeed in that weather
not very tempting, Lot tea, rice vine
roasted pista Gus nuts, preserved
ginger, and picked chiVes. All these
things did not seem likely to quench
our burning thirst, and We gazed
mOurntully at these Chinese dainties
without daring to touch them. The
weeping willow, indeed drank hot
wine and boiling tea. munched the
cnoRes and tbs ginger, Smoked one
after another five or six pipes OF
tobscco and ioInd himself afterHaTd
perfectly refreshed. Our tongues and
throat really seemed to dry up more
and more as we looked at him, One
inquired ofthe White Bal! whether
it would not be possible to procure
any where little cold water? yes"
replied be, "a few yards from here
there is very deep we'll, and the
water is excellent, but as cold as ice.
You must warm it little before
drinking it, other wise it will give you
the co!ic." We begged him TO send
for some. promising to take every
precaution against any illness it
might occasion, and good natured
soldier took large pail, and ran to
draw Us some of this dangerous
water. We then asked whether per-
hsps there was any vinegar in the
| establishment; 81 have some" he
said, but I am afraid you will not
like it: it is poly-pus vinegar made
| by the animal itself. Poly pus-vin-
egar, eh!' We are acquainted with
that, 1t is the best vinegar that can be
got. But how does it happen that
you possess such treasure as tsou
hodge Vinegar poly pus)? Eyes;
some years ago [ was sent on an ex-
| pedition into that country and l
brought back tsou-ne Gge with
me-" During the conversation the
soldier arrived with the pail OF ice
| cold water. The White Ball gave as
some of his wonderful vinegar and
With the help ola little brown sugar
We compounded an exquisite bever-
age. The Chinese gazsd at US with
establishment as We drank it. How it
happened that these numerous and
abundant libations, instead OF &C.
casioning collie only cheered and re-
ireshed US they could not understand,
and they could only get over the
difficulty by declaring that the
people of the west had q totally
different organization from that OF
the celestial nation. This teou-no-
dge is q creature that, On account of
its extraordinary property OF making
excellent vinegar, merits particular
mention. It is q monstrous assemblage
of f1sshy snd.glutinous membranes
tubes sand shapeless appendices that
give it very ugly and repuIsivs ap-
pearance. You would take it for an
investsdesd mass. but when touched
it contracts and dilates and assumes
various forms. It is an animal
Whoss structure and character are
not better known than that OF the
other polypi. This tsou.no-dge is
| found il the Yellow sea and the
Chinese fish for it on the coast OF
Leo-tong, but it is rather scarce,
Possibly, it may be more abundant
| in some other place where it is neg
leoted from ignorance of its peculiar
properly. This poly.pus is in large
vessel filled with fresh water TO which
q twenty or thirty days this liquid is
found transformed into excellent
vinegar without going through any
other process and without the ad
dition of the smallest ingredient. The
vinegar is as clear as spring water,
very strong and of a very agreeable
taste. After the first Transformation
the source appears inexhaustfble for
it is drawn of by degrees fer consump-
ton it ia only necessary to add an
equal quantity OF fresh water with
any more spirit and the vinegar
remains equally good. The tsou-1o
t9e, like all the other polypi, Is
easily propagated by termination.
You detach limb which vegetables
and grows and grows and In a short
time ID found to possess the same
property Of changing water into
vinegar. These details are not only
based on the best information we
have been able 10 collect, but we
ourselves possessed one of those
polypi and Kept it for a yesr. using
constantly the delicious vinegar it
distilled for US. At our departure
for Tnibet We presented it to the
nristaias of our mission in the val
ley of Black waters. Il Hue Jour-
neg through China.