of a gallon; and 40 gallons and under to the 2 tenths; but when the original or landing account has been charged to the 5 tenths, that rate be continued, even should it be found upon any subsequent examination that the ullage has fallen to 40 gallons or under. (G.O., 23. 1862.)

GAUGING BY THE VACUITY.

Foreign spirits and wines are gauged by the wet inches, but British spirits are gauged by the vacuity and the ullage calculation to the tenth of a gallon.

In taking the vacuity it is advisable to set the brass slide on the dip rod to an even inch, say 20, as in the deduction of the wet inches from the bung dimension errors are more easily avoided. Supposing the cask we have just gauged to have contained British spirits, the vacuity instead of the wet inches would have been taken in the following manner.

Having set the brass on bung rod to 20, insert the rod as in taking the inches, and on withdrawing it the vacuity, or the space not marked by the liquor, will be found to be 4.2 inches (counting from the brass downwards to where the spirits marked the rod), or the wet inches shewing 158; by deducting mentally 15.8 from 20 you have 4.2 the vacuity.

In taking the vacuity of any cask always set the brass according to the thickness of the stave-e.g. if the bung stave was inch, set the inch notch on the brass to the bung (or 20 as in last instance). In gauging British spirits no allowance is made for temperature or swell of the rod.

CALCULATION OF ULLAGE BY VACUITY.

In computing the vacuity by the head rod set the bung diameter 317 on line C to 100 on the segment line, and under 4.2 (the vacuity) on line C will be found 6 and half a tenth on segment line. Then set 6'05 on line C to 100 on segment line, and under 119, the content on line A, will be found on line B 7.2, the vacuity in gallons, and on deducting 7.2 from the content 119, you get 111, for the ullage quantity.

Bung,

Vacuity in inches,

Content,

Vacuity in gallons,

Ullage quantity,

31.7

4.2

119

7.2

111.8 gallons.

A quicker method for vacuities over an inch is to use the 100 on line A, and for vacuities under an

segment line.*

inch the 10 on the

METHOD OF GAUGING QUARTER CASKS AND OCTAVES OF WINE BY THE DIAGONAL. +

Insert the bung rod, the side marked imperial gallons being uppermost, in a slanting direction into the cask, so that the point shall reach the inner chimb where the bottom stave joins

In computing vacuities under an inch on 100 on the segment line, the calculation gives four times the real value, and is thus apt to mislead the inexperienced officer.

+ Quarter casks containing spirits must be gauged all round.

the front head, observing the mark on the rod nearest the centre of the bunghole and on a level with the inner part of the stave, which we will say gives 29 gallons. A similar dimension is then taken towards the back head, and the mean between these is the true content. Take the dimensions at 29 and 28, and the mean would be 28.5, but as casks are gauged to the The integral gallon the content would, in this case, be 28. horizontal bung diameter, as well as the perpendicular, must be taken in all cases, whether gauged diagonally or all round. Dip in the usual way for the wet inches, and calculate the ullage to the integral gallon.

SETTING OF HEAD ROD TO FIND THE ULLAGE.

*The ullage is found on left hand side (B line) of the content; and the vacuity on right hand side, unless in either case the quantity is shewn underneath the content.

TABLE TO FIND THE ULLAGE.

Divide the wet inches by the bung, and on looking in the Table for the quotient you will find its equivalent directly opposite. Then multiply the equivalent by the content, and the product will be the ullage quantity.

The ullage of a cask of any size may be found by the above table. It will be of much service to merchants and others who have not the head rod used by the Customs for ascertaining the ullage.

The vacuity in gallons may also be found by this table.

RULE.-Divide the vacuity in inches by the hung; and the equivalent in the table multiplied by the content gives the vacuity in gallons. Example—

ALLOWANCES ON GAUGING.

Now the Customs gauging rods are constructed to ascertain the capacity of casks of an exact spherodial variety, and of uniform thickness of stave throughout, such as the one which has just been gauged. Were all casks of a similar figure and uniform thickness there would be little difficulty experienced in gauging them; but as there are so many varieties, differing both in figure and thickness, great care and judgment is necessary for accurate gauging. Therefore, as casks vary in shape and