Colonial recipes, from old Virginia and Maryland manors

Mr. Otho Holland Williams Hunter kindly gives a very rare old recipe for Catawba wine, and also some recipes for punch. Mr. Hunter is the great-great-nephew of General Otho Holland Williams, a distinguished gentleman of Colonial days, who was the founder of Williams' Port, and a gallant officer of the Revolutionary army. A magnificent monument was erected to his memory in 1905, by his country in recognition of his valuable services rendered to it, Congress having made a handsome appropriation for that purpose. CATAWBA WINE This song of mine Is a Song of the Vine, To be sung by the glowing embers j Of wayside inns, When the rain begins To darken the drear Novembers. While pure as a spring Is the wine I sing, And to praise it, one needs but name it ; For Catawba wine Has need of no sign, No tavern-bush to proclaim it. — Longfellow. Williams' Port 8$ CATAWBA WINE {Mr. O. H. W. Hunter) Mash the grapes in a large bowl and let stand for 3 or 4 days, then squeeze juice out of grapes, and to 2 quarts of juice add 2 quarts of water and 2 pounds of sugar. Let it all thoroughly ferment. After it is through fermenting, put a syphon in the barrel by boring a hole through the cork that is in the bunghole of the barrel. Make the hole just large enough to get the syphon through, and seal around the syphon in the cork with hot wax so the air cannot get in the barrel. Put the end of the syphon just inside the barrel and put the other end of the syphon in a vessel which is kept constantly filled with pure water. Let the syphon remain in the barrel for 3 or 4 months, then bottle and seal tight. This wine looks like champagne and tastes like it. But to obtain this result you must follow every minute direction in this recipe. " And lately, by the Tavern Door agape. Came shining through the Dusk an Angel Shape Bearing a Vessel on his Shoulder; and He bid me taste it ; and 't was — the Grape ! " — Rubdiaydt, of Omar Khayyam. 86 Williams' Port TEA PUNCH Three pints of whisky, i pint of rum, I large tea cupful of green tea, 2 dozen lemons, 4 pounds sugar, 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour water on tea and let it steep for a short time. Squeeze lemons over the sugar. Peel very thinly 18 lemons and pour the boiling hot tea over the peels. Let it stand 5 minutes, then strain and pour tea over sugar and lemon juice. When sugar is entirely dissolved add whisky and rum and strain again. When ready to use add oranges, pineapples (cut in dice shape), Maraschino cherries, or any other fruit you may like. Some persons like curocoa in it also. Put this punch mixture in the punch bowl with a large lump of ice. This quantity will serve twenty-five people. Mr. O. H. W. Hunter. A CHAMPAGNE PUNCH FOR LADIES One quart of orange ice very well frozen and 1 bottle of California champagne. Mr. O. H. W. Hunter. BOONESBOROUGH