DISTILLERIES. The principal matters distilled from in India are palm wines, dates, sugar, rice, mahwa flowers, barks, cereals, and substances yielding perfumes. Under na,tive rule, the abkari, or government excise system, was an item in the revenue arrangements of the proprietor of every estate, and he made his own arrangements with the. distillers resident thereon. There were one or more small distilleries in almost every village, consisting of an oven, chiilha, and reservoir (garha). In the latter were placed earthen ves.sels (kunda), iuto which was placed the material to be distilled, and the product was designated rasi, or fourth quality, which sold at 3i annas a garha ; tharra or third quality, at 6i annas • phfil or second quality, at 12 annas ; and tap11, or first quality, at 12 annas. A garha was equal to eight bottles. The British Indian Government early suppressed these small stills, and introduced the system of distilleries at the chief stations, which aro farmed out to the highest bidder ; and the spirits are called once-distilled (ekbara) or double-distilled (do - atasha), according as they have passed once or twice through the still. The maliwa flower of the Bassia latifolia ferments in from five to nine days and Or from eight to fifteen days, according the heat of the weather. A maund or man of mahwa flowers yields four gallons in summer and five gallons in winter of a spirit between 25° or 30°. In the same way, a maund of gur will yield four and three gallons, according to the season.
The Botnbay toddy or arrack still consists of a large earthen jar, of the shape of that used by water carriers, but many times more capacious. The receiver is of the same form and material as the still, but somewhat smaller in size,—the former being two and a half, the latter one and a half, feet in diameter. The still mouth is plugged up with a piece of wood luted with clay ; a hole is cut in the side of the still near the top, and into this is fastened a wooden spout, which conveys the spirituous vapour to the cooler. This last stands on a tressle or frame of wood, placed over a pit for holding water, and cooling is effected by a man lifting successive fills of water from the well in a cocoanut ladle and pouring it on the top of the cooler. A vessel of water with a small spout or drip is occasionally resorted to.
A cocoanut tree will yield about 4 seers of toddy or sap a day. Seventy-five seers of toddy, or the produce for one day of 18 cocoanut trees, furnish a charge for a still ; yield 25 seers of liquor on a first distillation ; on the second it affords 8 seers of liquor, considerably under proof. The process of distillation just described is nearly as unskilful as can be ; and a third, if not a half, might be added to the returns were a little more care and. attention bestowed on the matter. Date and palrnyra trees yield toddy as well as cocoanuts.
A strong alcoholic liquor, called mawah, is in popular repute amongst the natives in Western India. The following process is employed in inaking it at Surat. The berries of the mawah are about the size and form of marbles. They are first steePed or mashed in 'casks. So soon as they get into a state of active fermentation, the fermented liquor is drawn off and carried to the still, and more water poured over tbe berries, successive charges being added as long as the worts are strong enough to ferment. A sufficient number of casks, or mash tuns, as they may be called, are etnployed in the work, so as to permit a charge of the still to be supplied on each drawing off from the fermenting tuns, as it takes a couple of days to complete the process of fer mentation ; but worts already drawn off would sour were this to be waited for before the first run was run off. The still consists of a. wooden tub, with a copper bottom, built over a surface of brickwork ; over the mouth of this is placed a. huge copper saucer, the centre of the bottom ter minating in a nipple. This is placed over the mouth of the tub which contains the liquor, and is fitted tight after the still has been charged ; it is then filled with cold water a fresh supply of which is poured into it from 'time to t,ime as the original fill gets heated. A bamboo spout passes through the side of the tub just above the level of the liquor inside ; it terminates in a flat shovel or ladle-shaped dish under the nipple. Into this the spirit condensed in the under side of the saucer trickles down ; it is run off and removed into a suitable receptacle outside. A second or third distillation is resorted to when the liquor is required to be made very strong.