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56 HISTORY OF THE [book y. 
to, I shall point out some little variation between 
the practice of the Jamaica distillers and those of 
the Windward islands, observable in the first pro¬ 
cess. This consists chiefly in a more copious use 
of dunder.* The following being a very general, 
and, I believe an improved method, in Jamaica, 
of compounding the several ingredients, viz. 
* As the use of dunder is to dissolve the tendency of the saccharine 
matter, it should be proportioned not only to the quantity, but also 
to the nature of the sweets. Thus, when the sweets in the fermenting 
cistern consists of mellasses alone, as generally happens after the bu¬ 
siness of sugar boiling is finished, when no scummings are to be had, 
a greater portion of dunder is necessary ; because mellasses is a body 
of greater tenacity than cane-liquor, and is rendered so viscous and 
indurated by the action of the fire, as to be unfit for fermentation with¬ 
out the most powerful saline and acid stimulators. For the same rea¬ 
son, at the beginning of the crop when no mellasses is to be had, and 
the sweets consist of cane-juice or scummings alone, very little dun¬ 
der is necessary. In such case I should not recommend above twenty 
per cent, at the utmost. Dunder in a large quantity, certainly in¬ 
jures the flavour, although it may increase the quantity of the spirit. 
We are informed by Dr. Shaw, that the distillers in England add 
many things to the fermenting liquor, or wash, in order to augment 
the vinosity of the spirit, or give it a particular flavour. He observes, 
that a little tartar, nitre, or common salt, is sometimes thrown in at 
the beginning of the operation, or in their stead a little of the vegeta¬ 
ble or finer mineral acid. These are thought to be of great use in the 
fermenting of solutions of treacle, honey, and the like sweet and rich 
vegetable juices, which contain a small proportion of acid. I have 
heard, that a similar practice prevails among the distillers in St. 
Christopher’s 5 some of whom consider an addition of sea water to 
the fermenting liquor (in what proportion I cannot say) as areal and 
great improvement. Shaw recommends the juice of Seville oranges, 
lemons, and tamarinds, or other very acid fruits, and, above all 
other thing, an acqueous solution of tartar ; but I conceive that dun- 
