176 TIMEHRI. 
containing salts of lime and of magnesia in solution has been met with 
during this investigation. In cases where considerable quantities of 
the higher fatty acids are produced during faulty fermentations, small 
quantities of these acids may pass over with the latter parts of the 
alcoholic distillates and produce somewhat insoluble lime soaps with 
the water used for testing purposes. This “fault” in rum I am inclined 
to think, will be seldom met with, and when detected can be obviated 
by care in the regulation of the fermentations, assisted by the use of 
lime in the retorts of the stills. 
At present I am unable to discern any additional line of laboratory 
investigation likely to be of service in this matter and must now leave 
it in the hands of the Planters. 
The practical points which arise from the investigation are as fols 
low :—1st, that sellers of rum should as far as possible make a point of 
having their rums tested with either distilled water, clear rain water, or 
with Liverpool upland water, and not with water derived from the wells 
in the new red sandstone; 2nd, that casks intended to contain rum for 
shipment should be soaked for two or three days with water containing 
two lbs. of caustic soda to the one hundred gallons, or else with water 
mixed with more milk of linve than is necessary to produce saturated 
lime water. 
After soaking, the casks must be emptied and swilled out with clean 
rain or trench water and allowed to drain before being filled up 
with rum. In my opinion the use of the lime will probably prove the 
more economical and satisfactory. 
If these precautions do not prove successful on the large scale, it will 
be necessary to carry on this investigation on other lines, 
J. B. HARRISON, 
Govt. Analyst. 
Georgetown, 16th February, 1897. 
The following Report of the Committee of Corres- 
pondence was read and adopted :— 
The Museum, March 11, 1897. 
R. T. A. Daly, Esq., 
Hon. Secty. R. A. & C. Society. 
Sir,— I have the honour to report that, at a meeting of the Committee 
of Correspondence held on the 2sth ult., the letter from the Philadel- 
phia Museums, referred to the Committee for consideration, was brought 
