Measuresthen are various, according to the different kinds and dimensions of things measured. Hence arise lineal and longitudinal measures for lines or lengths; for square areas; and solid or cubic, for bodies and their capacities: all which again are very different in different countries and ages, and even many of them for different commodities. Hence also arise other divisions, of domestic and foreign, ancient and modern, dry and wet (or liquid) measures, &c.
LongMeasure. The English standard long measure, or that whereby the quantities of things are ordinarily estimated, is the yard containing three English feet, equal to three Paris feet one inch and ³⁄₁₂ths of an inch, or ⁷⁄₉ths of a Paris ell. Its subdivisions are the foot, span, palm, inch, and barley-corn: its multipliers are the pace, fathom, pole, furlong, and mile.
Table,which shews the length in English lines of the several long measures, and the relation of foreign measures to 100 English feet.
Long measure.
The following examples will shew in what manner the proportion between the long measures of any two given countries may be ascertained.
Examples.
It is required to reduce 100 metres new measure of France into feet of Hamburgh.
The French metre measuring 472,27 English lines, and the Hamburgh foot 135,30, according to thetableprefixed, I state the following equation:
Reduce 100 feet of Hamburgh into metres of France.
Table,which shews the contents in English square feet of the several land measures, and the relations of foreign measures to 100 acres English measure.
Land Measure.
The following examples will shew in what manner the proportion between the land measures of any two given countries may be ascertained.
Examples.
It is required to reduce 100 dessaetinas of Russia into fanegadas of Spain.
The dessaetina measuring 124620 square feet of England, and the fanegada 48215, according to thetableprefixed, I state the following equation:
Reduce 100 fanegadas into dessaetinas.
Table,which shews the length in English feet of the several itinerary measures, and the relation of those measures to 1 degree of the terrestrial meridian, equal to 364420 English feet.
Itinerary Measure.
The following example will shew in what manner the proportion between the itinerary measures of any two given countries may be ascertained.
Reduce 1 myriametre new French measure into miles of England.
The length of the myriametre being 32797 English feet, and that of the mile 5280, I state the following equation:
Table,which shews the quantity of English cubic inches contained by each of the corn measures, and the relation of foreign measures to 10 quarters Winchester measure.
Corn Measure.