Faraday to John Barrow   4 December 1832

Royal Institution | 4th Decr 1832

Sir

I beg to enclose to you for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a report embodying the substance of the analyses and experiments I have made on certain samples of meal from the Surrey Convict ship which you did me the honor to send to me for that purpose on the 3Oth Ultimo¹[.]

I am Sir | Your Most Obedient | Humble Servant | M. Faraday

John Barrow Esq | &c &c &c

Report on five samples of oatmeal received from the Admiralty on the 30th November said to be from the Surr[e]y Convict ship[.]

Sample (No. 1. Oatmeal - Contractor Inglis² sent by Mr. Wyse to the Admiralty) This meal is evidently different to good samples of meal and more gritty. I could not discover that barley meal had been mixed with it but at the same time I should state that in certain proportions it would be difficult to gain positive evidence of its presence[.]

On proceeding to analysis abundant reason was discovered why this meal should be of bad quality: for it has been mingled and adulterated with more than 10 per cent of some calcareous matter, I believe, ground chalk. That no doubt might arise as to its improper presence I ascertained by analysis the proportions of earthy and saline matters in this and the other samples so that a fit judgment can be drawn of the quantities which being derived from the soil or during grinding &c &c. are inevitably present. The present sample contained per cent 0.5 of silica - 0.7 of phosphate of lime - 1.3 alumina and soluble salts and 10.7 carbonate of lime the remaining 86.8 parts being meal - water &c.

The silica alumina & salts were to be expected and are not in quantities larger than may be allowed as accidental. The phosphate of lime is in too small a quantity to be considered as having been purposely added yet being one of the substances in burnt bones it excites suspicion: I would rather however consider it accidental[.] The calcareous matter is no doubt an adulteration and it will appear that in good meal I could find none of it[.]

Sample (No.2 Oatmeal. Contractor Waugh³ sent by Mr Wyse to the Admiralty) This was very good in all its evident qualities. Upon being analysed only 1.5 per cent of earthy and saline matter was found in it[.] Of this nearly 0.4 was silica &c. and 1.1 alumina & salts. There was a trace of lime present but so small as to render its proportion inappreciable. The proportion of earthy and saline matter here is very small and must be allowed as that which could easily enter during the growth of the grain - or afterwards during the necessary operations even in the most careful hands.

Sample marked (Hubbert⁴ sent by Mr Wyse to Deptford and thence to the Admiralty) This had all the characters of good meal. Being analysed it gave 2.3 per cent earthy and saline substances of which 0.7 was silica &c and 1.6 alumina salts &c. There was no lime here or at most the merest trace. There is no reason from the analysis to have any suspicions of this meal[.]

Sample marked (Oat 10.4 Inglis EX 21 Sept' 3'3 sent by Mr Wyse to Deptford & thence to the Admiralty) This sample had all the characters of the first sample[.] It contained a large proportion of Carbonate of lime but as I had no doubt it was a sample of the same meal I did not pursue the analysis so as to obtain proportions which would have occupied time and caused delay[.]

Sample marked (Oat 1.6 Waugh EX 12 Oct. 3'3 sent by Mr. Wyse to Deptford & thence to the Admiralty) This sample had all the characters of good meal. Believing it to be a duplicate of the second sample, I examined it only generally & found it to agree in all points[.]

I then obtained a sample of oatmeal from a dealer in whom I have all confidence and analysed it. It contained 2.3 of earthy and saline matters of which 0.8 was silica and 1.5 alumina & salts: a minute trace of lime was present. This sample therefore agrees with those from Waugh and Hubbert and like them is in strong contrast to that from Inglis[.]

As barley meal was supposed to be present in the sample from Inglis, I pro‑cured some Barley meal to ascertain its proportion of earthy & saline matters and whether calcareous matter is present in it. It yielded 3.1 per cent of inor‑ganic matters of which 1.3 was silica and sandy particles; 1.8 alumina & salts. But here there was only the merest trace of lime present so that it stands strongly contrasted to the sample from Inglis[.]

M. Faraday

Royal Institution | 4th Dec 1832

Letter endorsed: 5 Dec Mr Jones to state whether his opinion that Inglis ought to be prosecuted.

Report 6th Dec. Send these papers to Sir John Hill⁵ and direct him to cause samples to be taken accordingly and forwarded to me properly marked. | 6th Dec [unidentified initials]