require a little doctoring. It is apt to be
rather indisposed at times; that is, to turn
somewhat sour. When slightly afflicted with
this complaint, a few egg-shells, which, in
fact, are so much chalk, to absorb the acidity,
may not be injurious. A little salt is
supposed to make beer keep: there can be no
great harm in that. Some have given their
beer jalap, in the proportion of two or three
ounces to twenty barrels; the reason for
which proceeding is unknown; it may not do
harm; but I don't see that it can do much
good. Copperas is used for the sake of giving
porter a frothy top. For this purpose, there
need not be used more than would lie on a
half-crown piece for a barrel. But I, for my
part, should be disposed to think that so
much copperas as would affect the head of a
pot of beer, would be not unlikely also to
affect the human stomach; and I would,
therefore, prefer not to have any copperas in
my beer, if I knew it.

"However, this copperas, or sulphate of iron,
is found in a great many springs of water,
which the Excise does not prevent brewers
from brewing from, although it forbids them
to put the same quantity of copperas as what
there is in those springs into the common
water which they use. But this only proves
that the law knows nothing about chemistry;
and I'm afraid it don't know much more
about philosophy and science of any sort.

"The root of the sweet flag, coriander and
carraway seeds, orange-peel, and other
aromatics, are also used to give beer that flavour,
which, if properly made, it would derive,
without any such medical treatment, from
malt and hops.

"Lastly, there are drugs which are put
into beer merely to increase its fuddling
power—Cocculus Indicus, St. Ignatius's Bean,
Nux Vomica, or Ratsbane, Opium and Tobacco.
Concerning which, I shall only make the
brief remark, that though in this age of
enlightenment and civilisation, we must be
naturally averse to capital punishments, I
wish every brewer who puts any such stuff
into his liquor, was condemned to drink his
own beer, and nothing else, till he died—
which I fancy he would in no very long
tune.

"I feel that I have not exhausted the
subject of beer; but I am afraid I may have
exhausted your patience. However, if my
discourse has occasioned on your parts a
feeling of dryness, the subject of it no doubt
will suggest to you a ready means of relieving
that uncomfortable sensation."

The lecture of Mr. Saunders was listened
to with marked attention by a crowded auditory.
At its conclusion, a teetotaller stepped
forward, and begged to ask the lecturer's
opinion on the relation of beer to health and
morality? To which Mr. Saunders replied,
that he considered it highly favourable to
both, provided moderation—a virtue in itself
was—observed in the use thereof. Too
much of any good thing was bad; and this
remark was as true of tea as of any malt
liquor.

A SALT GROWL.

—SALT, because I am an Old Salt. I am
brine, from head to foot. I am an officer of
old standing, and, by a singular chain of
circumstances, one of the most unlucky men in
the profession. I can compare myself to
nothing but a cat that has been sent up by an
experimentalist in a balloon. I have been a
victim to Admiralty experiments all my life.
Sir Charles Napier's book, "The Navy: Its
Past and Present State," has set all my
wounds bleeding, by touching up my memory
—and here goes for a spell of lamentation!

I am all over grievances. I represent
wrongs in my proper person—as the South
Sea Islanders do the customs of their country
by the nature of their tattoo. I mean no
personal offence to any one, but to those who
feel themselves aggrieved, I present my card
(that card which I have left so often at an
official's when unable to get an interview)—
Captain Jeremiah Jigger, R.N.

First of all, I entered as a mere boy, during
war; and, when still unable to tolerate the
birch with anything like Spartan, patience,
was armed with a sword, and expected to
resist that of a ferocious enemy! Our captain,
who was subject to gout (being œtat. sixty
when he got the "Bruiser") was a noted
Tartar. Men would not enter his vessel;
consequently we were obliged to resort to
rigorous impressment. You moderns don't
know what impressment really was. I have
lived a good deal in the country since; and
I tell you what it is exactly—it is poaching.
Poaching for men! You set snares for them
in public houses, just as you set snares for
hares in hedges. You catch them asleep, as
you would catch a pheasant on a tree at
night, and sulphur him. Many a time we
pinned an outward-bound merchantman on
the wing. We were resisted, wounded,
execrated; nevertheless, no system of manning
the Navy is adopted to this day; and if we
have a war again we must press. What will
the sea-ports say to that?

The "Bruiser" went to sea in a hurry—
some guns short, and with a hundred lands-
men among the crew—in the thick of the
American war, Jonathan was, just then,
beginning to pick up our frigates—with better
manned, better armed, and bigger frigates of
his own. What did the Admiralty do? They
issued secret orders not to engage the large
American frigates—which was a capital
remedy. I wish you had seen our skipper,
reeking with indignation and rum, when this
reached us! He had been licking Frenchmen
the whole of his gunpowdery life, and didn't
believe it was possible that the "Bruiser"
could be taken. Captain Snagg, of the U.S.N.,
commanding the "Locofoco," thought otherwise.