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CHAPTER VIII
OTHER SPIRITS
01(1 Jamaica pine-apple—"Tots" for TommyAtkins—The grog
tub aboard ship—Omelette au rhttm—Rum-and-milk—Ditto-
and-ale — A maddening mixture — Rectifying gin—"The
seasoning as does it"—Oil of turpentine and table-salt—A
long thirst—A farthing's worth of Old Tom—Roach-alum
—Dirty gin—Gin and bitters—"Kosher" rum—An active
and intelligent officer—Gambling propensities ofthe Israelites
—The dice in the tumbler—Nomenclature at "The Olde
Cheshyre Cheese"—" Rack "—" Cork."
We now come to Rum, "superior old Jamaica
pine-apple," otherwise known as "sailors' tea"
— the spirit in question having from time
immemorial been held in high esteem by
mariners both afloat and ashore.
Rum is
probably one of the easiest beverages to make,
being, simply, fermented and distilled cane-sugar.
Occasionally pine-apples and guavas are thrown
into the still, but in making this spirit on a large
scale no attempts are made to add to its flavour
and thereby deduct from the profits to be made
on the commodity. It is coloured with caramel,
and the longer you keep it the better and, there
fore, the more valuable, it becomes. In the city