CHAPTER I



INTEODUCTOEY



In the past few years the importations of rum from the
colony of British Guiana, and to a less extent from certain of
the West Indian islands, have not unfrequently exhibited the
condition technically known as ' faultiness,' whereby a consider-
able reduction of value and consequently a pecuniary loss,
amounting to several thousands of pounds per annum, has
resulted, so that the manufacture of this spirit has hardly
been remunerative. Under these circumstances the Agricul-
tural Committee of the Eoyal and Commercial Society
requested Mr. J. B. Harrison, the Government Analyst of
British Guiana, to inquire into this matter, who issued
a report dated Georgetown, February i6, 1897, from which
the following extract is made by way of a preliminary
explanation : —

' Rums have been and are classed as " faulty " when on
admixture with water in such proportions as to reduce the
strength to 25°/, under proof, which in the case of our rums
means approximately their dilution with an equal bulk of
water, the diluted spirits, either at once or after standing
for some hours, become cloudy, either depositing on longer
standing a more or less copious precipitate or showing the
presence, in greater or less abundance, of floating flocculencies.
This so-called test appears to be made at times with cold
water, at times with boiling water, but in both cases the
rum is left to stand for several hours before a final decision
as to its quality is arrived at.
