[ 5' 1 



t:on, it would have acquired zjlill-burnt flavour; and I 

 found by experience in one inftancc, that this kind of em* 

 pyreuma was of an exceeding difagreeable kind, refembling 

 in flavour the funics of burning tobacco* 



In confequence of thefe precautions and due rectifica- 

 tion, I obtained an Englifh gallon of a pure fpirit, confidcr- 

 ably above proof; and about a quart more of a weaker 

 kind, a good deal below proof. This was, in every refpect, 

 the fined and mofl agreeable vinous fpirit I ever faw. In 

 tafte it fomewhat refembled very fine brandy; but it was 

 more mild than any brandy I ever tailed, and had a certain 

 kind of coolncfs upon the palate peculiar to itfclf, by which 

 it might be readily diftinguifhed, by a nice judge, from 

 every other kind of fpirit. Its flavour was ftill more pe- 

 culiar to itfclf, but it more nearly refembled brandy im- 

 pregnated with the odour of violets and rafberries, than any 

 thing clfe to which I could compare it. [A fingle glafs of 

 it put into a bowl of rum punch, made it appear as if it had 

 confifted half and half of rum and brandy, impregnated with 

 the juice of rafpberries.] It feemed to derive this flavour 

 from afubtile efTential oil, of a very fmgular kind — for al- 

 though it rofe with the firft fpirit that came over, it ftill 

 continued to come over, without any fenfible diminution or 

 change of flavour, till the whole of the fpirit was entirely 

 drawn off. It was alfo fo difficult to be diflipated, as to 

 fcent with its own perfume a drinking glafs, into which the 

 fpirit had been poured, for more than twenty-four hours 

 after it had been emptied, and apparently quite dry ; and 

 this perfume, after the fpirituous flavour was totally diili- 

 pated, appeared to me the mod agreeable I had ever met 

 with. I have beert at the greater pains to defcribe thi< 

 kind of fpirit in its ftate of perfection, becaufe I have fine 

 heard of and feen fome fpirits, faid to be drawn from potr 



Vol. IV. E toe 



