The rum ration, also called tot, was a daily amount of rum given to sailors on ships. For over 300 year, ship crew members were served a daily ration of rum using this measuring cup. This handsome cup, adorned with the decorative Crown and Anchor of the British Navy, is handmade of copper and brass with a silver-plated interior.
The midday time that the rum ration was distributed was called "Up Spirits" and took place between 11am and 12 noon. Up Spirits began with a bosun's call, sometimes termed boatswain call. A bosun's call is made with a whistle or pipe that is used to make numerous commands on a ship, including the Up Spirits time. (To see and hear such a call, search "bosun's call.") A common crew response to the bosun's call to Up Spirits was "Stand fast the Holy Ghost."
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