OS PRESERVING WATER, &C. ' 2g7 



of these casks, he preferred the inconvenience of having 

 his ballastage to attend to rather than fill them up with 

 sea water, as is usual, when they were empty, which 

 tends to hasten the corruption of the fresh water that 

 may be afterwards put into them. On his arrival at Ja- 

 pan, he burned as strongly as possible every one of his 

 water <;asks, and the success of this practice was still mor^ 

 evident during a passage of seven weeks from thence to 

 Kamschatka. 



" Our water," says he, '^ was constantly pure, and as The water at 

 " good as that from the best springs ; so that we have seawasastaste- 

 " had the honor of being the first to carry so simple and -water. 

 '' so useful a practice into effect ; and the French Che- 

 ^' mist will perhaps receive some satisfaction from hear- 

 '' ingof our happy success." 



The preceding notice is followed by an address on the 

 part of one of the Editors of the Annales de Chimie to 

 Mr. Berthollet, in farther explanation of the subject. 

 He remarks, that , . 



The coating of charcoal acts in two manners ; 1 . It 

 opposes the solution of the extractive part of the wood. 

 2. It prevents the putrefaction of that which may have 

 been dissolved from such parts of the wood as might not 

 have been originally well charred, or from which the coal 

 may have been detached. 



If the charcoal were merely to be put into the cask, 

 or the putrefaction were corrected by means of filters con- 

 taining charcoal powder, the first effect would not be ob- 

 tained ; and the second would even cease to be produced 

 as soon as the property of the charcoal should be ex- 

 hausted. 



The process for carbonizing the inner surface of casks The same pro- 

 may also afford advantages for the preservation of wines, cess promises 



^fT' 11 . 1- , .1 . to be of value 



Wine, as well as water, must dissolve the extractive in casks for 



part of wood ; and its taste, particularly when it has not wine. 

 one which predominates, must by that means be altered. 

 This is the reason why casks which have already been 

 much used are preferable to those which are new. 



% This extractive part probably favours the acid fer- 

 mentation, which easily takes place in sea voyages in con- 

 sequence of agitation and an elevated temperature. Hence 



it 



