always in rapid motion) flows from the pipe m at n', and passes down from chamber to chamber through the dropping pipes, in the direction shewn by the arrows in a few of the upper chambers. It may be here observed, that no portion of the wash passes through the small holes perforated in the diaphragms which separate the chambers. These holes are regulated both in number and size, so as to be not more than sufficient to afford passage to the vapour upwards under some pressure. The holes, therefore, afford no outlet for the liquor, which can only find its way down in the ziz-zag course indicated by the arrows. It is, therefore, obvious, that the wash as it passes down is spread into strata, as many times as there are diaphragms, and is thus exposed to the most searching action of the steam constantly blowing up through it. As it descends from chamber to chamber, its alcohol is abstracted by the steam passing through it, agreeably to the 3d and 4th preliminary principles we have laid down, and by the time the wash has reached the large chamber B, it is in the ordinary course of the operation, completely deprived of its alcohol.

The wash, as it descends from the analyzer, accumulates in the upper large chamber B', until that chamber becomes nearly filled, which, when the attendant perceives to be the case, by the inspection of the glass tube, he opens the valve of the pipe V, and discharges the contents of B, into B; then shutting the valve, the wash from the analyzer again accumulates in B', and, when it is a second time nearly full, the contents of the lower chamber B are discharged from the apparatus altogether, through the cock N, and the charge in B' let down into B, by opening the valve as before, and thus the process goes on so long as there is any wash to supply the pump. When all the wash is gone, a quantity of water is let into the reservoir L, and pumped through the pipes m m, to finish the process and obtain the last portions of alcohol. This winding up of the operation by sending water through the pipes, takes place on the distillation of every back of wash, in consequence of an Excise regulation, which requires the distiller to keep the produce of each back separate from that of any other. Were it not for this regulation the distillation would go on uninterruptedly, so long as there was any wash in stock; the addition of water for winding up would be necessary but once during the distilling period, and the manufacturer would save much time and fuel at present wasted by these interruptions.

It has been already said, that in the ordinary course of the operation, the wash is stripped of all its alcohol by the time it has reached the bottom of the analyzer, but, as a precautionary measure, the chambers B' B have been superadded, in each of which the spent wash is

exposed for about half an hour to the action of the steam blowing through it.

There is a small apparatus (not shewn in the engraving) by which a portion of the steam in the chamber B' is condensed, cooled, and made to flow constantly through a sample jar, in which is an hydrometer, or, what is better, two glass bubbles, one of the specific gravity 1000, the other 998. The attendant knows all is right when these bubbles, or even the lightest of them, floats in the sample. And thus, the chamber B may be emptied without any risk of loss.

The course of the wash being understood, that of the steam will require very little description.

The steam, as it rises, is first blown through the charges of spent wash in the chambers B' B, thence it passes up through the layers of wash on the eleven diaphragms of the analyzer. In its passage it abstracts from these layers of wash their alcohol, depositing in its place an equivalent quantity of water. After traversing the whole of the analyzer, the vapour, now containing much alcohol, passes by the pipe i i, into the bottom of the rectifier, and, as it ascends, it envelopes the pipes m m, heating the wash, and, at the same time, parting with its more watery portion, which is condensed, and falls, in a boiling state, on the several diaphragms of the rectifier. By the time the vapour reaches the passage W, in the bottom of the finished spirit-condenser, it is nearly pure alcohol, and, as it is condensed by the wash in the pipes, and falls on the diaphragm, it is conveyed away by the pipe y to a refrigerator. At the top of the spirit condenser is a large pipe, R, which serves as a vent for the incondensable gas which is disengaged in the process, and this pipe also communicates with the refrigerator, so that, should vapour at any time be sufficient to pass out of the apparatus, no loss is sustained beyond the waste of fuel caused by condensing that vapour by the water of the refrigerator instead of the waste of the condenser.

The liquor condensed on the several diaphragms of the rectifier, after being blown through by the vapour passing up from plate to plate, descends to the bottom in the same manner as the wash descends from chamber to chamber in the analyzer; but this condensed liquor still contains a portion of alcohol, and it is conveyed by the pipe S to the pump Q, by which it is pumped up with the wash to be again distilled.

A thermometer at m' shews the attendant the temperature of the wash as it issues from the pipe mm, into the analyzer, which is the only guide he requires for managing the operation; for, when the temperature is what it should be, nothing can go wrong in the work.

Whenever the thermometer indicates too high a temperature, more wash should be let into the apparatus, and vice versa; the quantity being regulated by the cock on the pipe n. It would seem, however, that very little nicety is requisite on this point. The attendant finds by experience that the fluctuation of a few degrees above or below the proper heat is of little consequence; and, we observed, that he very seldom found it necessary to alter the supply of wash.

The water for supplying the boiler passes through a long coil of pipe immersed in the boiling, hot, spent wash, by which means it is raised to a high temperature before it reaches the boiler. It will be seen that the vapour passing through this apparatus is all condensed by the wash, not water; and, therefore, no heat is wasted, as in the common process. The consequence of this is, that about three-fourths of the fuel used with the common stills is saved, a matter of very important consideration, in a national point of view.

According to the common process, it requires 12lbs. of coals to distil a gallon of proof spirits,* of which, as we have said, 9lbs. are saved by the new system; and, assuming the whole quantity of spirits distilled in the empire to be 36,000,000 gallons, which (colonies included) we believe is not over the mark, the saving of fuel arising from the new methods of distilling, which, no doubt, will be soon universally adopted, will amount to 140,000 tons of coal per annum.†

The apparatus of Mr. Coffey, erected at Inverkeithing, in Scotland, distils 2,000 gallons of wash per hour, and that at Bonnington, near Leith, upwards of 3000 gallons per hour. The still erected for Messrs. Thomas and George Smith, at White-chapel, has been now upwards of a year at work, making, I understand, 60,000 gallons of proof spirits in the period of five days, or obout 12,000 gallons daily; and from the purity of the spirits, and the immense saving of fuel, labour, &c., is giving the highest satisfaction.

The Messrs. Currie at Bromley, are working on the same extensive scale; but they are using two of Mr. Coffey's stills. The one which he has lately erected for Sir Felix Booth, Bart., at Brentford, bids fair to rival all the others. There are no brewing coppers in this distillery, that process being entirely carried on with a peculiar apparatus, which Mr. Coffey has constructed for Sir. F. Booth for that purpose; and, instead of the numerous and wasteful fires necessary

When the coals are of the best quality, the furnaces scientifically constructed, and when strong wash is used, a gallon of spirits can be distilled with much less than 12 lbs. of coals; but we have good reason to believe the average consumption is not less than that.

The author is indebted to Thomson's Records of General Science for the foregoing description of this apparatus,

in the common distilleries, the whole of the process of brewing and distilling in this very extensive work is performed by the economical fires of two steam-engine boilers.

The still worked by Mr. Busby, in Dublin, is a beautiful specimen of this apparatus, and is giving great satisfaction by the production of a very superior spirit.

The Stills generally in use in Ireland, under the present law, are of the common kind, consisting of a very large dome-shaped copper, similar to the coppers used in breweries, with a worm and wormtub of great magnitude. The Stills, however, are so familiar that a more minute description would be unnecessary.

To enable the reader to form a correct idea of the figure of the Still formerly in use, a representation is subjoined, with a delineation of a person working the machinery, and another standing by the head to prevent its getting foul.

While exertions were making to lessen the labour and bring to perfection the process of distillation, plans were, at the same time, devised to secure the revenue on the quantity of spirits actually produced. One of the first attempts to effect this object, was made at Carrickfergus, in 1821, by Captain Thomas Pottinger, by means of machinery placed in enclosed vessels. The principles on which his experiments were conducted had a two-fold object. First, to keep the produce out of the reach of the distiller during the process; and, at the same time, allow him to ascertain the strength, heat, and colour of the spirits while running.

Secondly,

to secure the casks so as to prevent any defalcation in the contents, or diminution of the charge. To secure these objects, a glass jar was stationed at the end of the worm, in which was placed an hydrometer, and to the outside was affixed a scale to indicate the strength, the heat being at the same time determined by an adjoining thermometer. To prevent all access to the fluid, or run from the worm, a glass cylinder was placed overhead, which, it was impossible To effect the second object, the to remove, without breaking. different receivers were covered by iron plates, bolted and screwed within. Each was furnished with a ball-cock to prevent its being filled above a certain height, in which was placed a very large copper ball attached to a pump to regulate the strength of the liquor at the time of pumping. These balls were in reality hydrometers, which, when the liquor became stronger than the usual standard, sank to the bottom, and, by that means, opened an air-valve which communicated with the pump, and prevented it from working. To these contrivances, a machine was super-added within the spirit receiver, by which the spirits were measured, as they came from the worm, and the quantity registered by an index. The whole was so secured as to be inaccessible to the distiller, or the visiting officers.

This double cock

At the suggestion of Mr. Coffey, (inventor of the still,) who was appointed by the Commissioners to superintend Captain Pottinger's operations, fresh experiments were made, with a new and improved apparatus, on a still containing 500 gallons. The improvements of Mr. Coffey were, that no wash could be put into the still without being measured and recorded. For this purpose, a close vessel was employed, denominated "the wash measuring gauger," having two stop-cocks, or rather a double-cock, so constructed that the act of opening the one for filling the charger, shut the other for employing it; while, at the same time, the distiller was enabled to fill his charger and convey the contents into the still. was enclosed in an iron box containing a few wheels, by the revolution of which, the quantity of wash put into the still was marked on an index visible through small glass apertures. In this measuring charger, an overfall pipe was fixed to shew when it was full, which contained a valve to prevent any liquid being forced up through it. A similar charger was constructed for conveying the low-wines into the still, on the breast of which was a close copper case, in which all the communicating pipes terminated. This case contained a valve opening and shutting at pleasure. The discharge-cock was so constructed as to let every thing pass freely out, but nothing into the still. The air, or safety-valve, was fixed on the lying arm, in such a