560 JAMAICA. 



ftant fupply oF good fpirits; and whatever fuperflulty might remahi, 

 upon leaving the ifland, would certainly produce much more than the 

 prime coft, whether it fliould be difpofed of at that market, or brought 

 to Great Britain. 



5. Where an <zc/J abounds, the fpirit gains by time, in confequencc 

 •of this dukification, a grateful flavour and odour. 



Where volatile oil abounds, the feeming ranknel's of fmell and tafte 

 gradually goes off, or is converted into a fpecies of perfume. 



6. The wholefomenefs is alfo improved by time, as it caufes a pri- 

 vation of thofe ill qualities, which render the frefh dlftilled fpirits fo 

 noxious. 



7. The melafles fpirit, diftilled in Britain and North America, is 

 fo defedive in the vohitile oil, which is the great corredive, and gives 

 the charafteriftic to rum, that it is mofl: palpably different from it in 

 tafte and flavour, as well as in its moft falubrious qualities. 



§ For this reafon the North American fpirit is better than the 

 BritUh ; the former being made from the firft-drawn melalTes, which 

 generally contains a portion of fugar, and a large fhare of this oil. 

 The French melaffes indeed is impoverifhed very much, by their boil- 

 ing it over again, to make their pmieel fugars ; but in Jamaica this 

 feiece of oeconomy not being praftifed, the melafles fold here to the 

 North Americans is twice as rich as what they purchafe at the French 

 iflands ; and their diftillers probably find it fo in the yielding. 



In Britain the melaffes is proportionably jejune, and deprived of its 

 richnefs; as the mufcovado fugars, by the time they fall into the 

 baker s hands, have been pretty well drained ; fo that what Is drawn 

 in the refining procefs, and afterwards fold to the diftillers, niuft be 

 verv much impoverifhed. 



Some diftillers buy up the dark uncured fugars, which yield a 

 fpirit of better quality ; but it is impoffible for them to produce the 

 fame fpirit as Jamaica rum, where the liquor for diftlllation is com- 

 pounded of various mixtures, not to be obtained by the Britifh 



diftiller. 



This liquor, for example, confifts of 

 I — pnrt ikimmings, 

 « —part wafhings, 

 I — oart cool lees. 



To 



