PERHAPS the only thing which can be called a cordial or a liqueur sold in the streets (if we except elder wine), is peppermint-water, and of this the sale is very limited. For the or years of the present century, I was told by who spoke from a personal knowledge, "a pepperminter" had little taps to his keg, which had a division in the interior. From tap was extracted "peppermint-water;" from the other, "strong peppermint-water." The was at that time a glass, the other from to , according to the size of the glass. With the "strong" beverage was mixed smuggled spirit, but so strongly impregnated with the odour of the mint, that a passer-by could not detect the presence of the illicit compound. There are persons selling peppermint-water in the winter, and only half that number in the summer. The trade is irregular, as some pursue it only of a night, and generally in the street markets; others sell at , and places of great traffic, when the traffic is being carried on. They are stationary for awhile, but keep shifting their ground. The vendors generally "distilled their own mint," when the sale was greater, but within these or years they have purchased it at a distilling chemist's, and have only prepared it for sale. Water is added to the distilled liquid bought of the chemist, to increase the quantity; but to enhance the heat of the draught—which is a draw to some buyers— black pepper (unground), or ginger, or, but rarely, capsicums, are steeped in the beverage. The peppermint-water is lauded by the vendors, when questioned concerning it, as an excellent stomachic; but nothing is said publicly of its virtues, the cry being merely, "Pep-permint water, a halfpenny a glass."

The sellers will generally say that they distil the peppermint-water themselves, but this is not now commonly the case. The process, however, is simple enough. The peppermint used is gathered just as it is bursting into flower, and the leaves and buds are placed in a tub, with ust water enough to cover them. This steeping continues hours, and then a still is filled -parts full, and the water is "over" drawn very slowly.

The price at the chemist's is a quart for the common mint-water; the street price is a glass, containing something short of the of a pint. What costs , the street-seller disposes of for , so realising the usual cent. per cent.

To take is now accounted "a tidy day's work;" and calculating that "pepperminters" take that amount the year round, Sundays excepted, we find that nearly is spent annually in peppermint-water and gallons of it consumed every year in the streets of London.

The capital required is, keg, , or jar, (for they are used indifferently); glasses, ; towel, , and stock-money, ; or, in all, about The "water"--keg, or jar, is carried by the vendor, but sometimes it is rested on a large stool carried for the purpose. A distilling apparatus, such as the street-sellers used, was worth about The vendors are of the same class of street-sellers as the ginger-beer people.