re various, according to the various kinds and dimensions of the things measured.—Hence arise linear or longitudinal measures, for lines or lengths; square measures, for areas or surfaces; and solid or cubic measures, for bodies and their capacities: all which again are very different in different countries and in different ages, and even many of them for different commodities. Whence arise other divisions of ancient and modern measures, domestic and foreign ones, dry measures, liquid measures, &c.
I. Long Measures, or Measures of Application.
1.] The English and Scotch Standards.
The English linear standard is the yard, containing 3 English feet; equal to 3 Paris feet 1 inch and ¼. of an inch, or \( \frac{2}{3} \) of a Paris ell. The use of this measure was established by Henry I. of England, and the standard taken from the length of his own arm. It is divided into 36 inches, and each inch is supposed equal to 3 barley-corns. When used for measuring cloth, it is divided into four quarters, and each quarter subdivided into 4 nails. The English ell is equal to a yard and a quarter, or 45 inches, and is used in measuring linens imported from Germany and the Low-Countries.
The Scots ell was established by king David I. and divided into 37 inches. The standard is kept in the council-chamber of Edinburgh, and being compared with the English yard, is found to measure 37\(\frac{1}{2}\) inches; and therefore the Scots inch and foot are larger than the English, in the proportion of 180 to 185; but this difference being so inconsiderable, is seldom attended to in practice. The Scots ell, though forbidden by law, is still used for measuring some coarse commodities, and is the foundation of the land-measure of Scotland.
Itinerary measure is the same both in England and Scotland. The length of the chain is poles, or 22 yards; 80 chains make a mile. The old Scots computed miles were generally about a mile and a half each.
The reel for yarn is 2\(\frac{1}{2}\) yards, or 10 quarters, in circuit; 120 threads make a cut, 12 cuts make a hank or hank, and 4 hanks make a spindle.
2.] The French Standard is the aune or ell, containing 3 Paris feet 7 inches 8 lines, or 1 yard \( \frac{1}{4} \) English; the Paris foot royal exceeding the English by \( \frac{1}{15} \) parts, as in one of the following tables. This ell is divided two ways, viz. into halves, thirds, sixths, and twelfths; and into quarters, half-quarters, and sixteenths.
This ell holds throughout the greatest part of France; excepting at Troyes in Champagne, at Arc in the Barrois, and in some parts of Picardy and Burgundy, where the ell contains only 2 feet 5 inches 1 line; in Bretagne, where it contains 4 feet 2 inches 11 lines; and at St Genoux in Berry, where it exceeds the Paris ell by 8 lines. See Ell. But in Languedoc, particularly at Marfeilles, Montpellier, Thoulouse in Provence, and in Guinne, they measure by the canna, which at Thoulouse and in Guinne contains 5 Paris feet 5 inches and 6 lines; or one Paris ell and a half. But at Montpelier, and throughout the Lower Languedoc, as also in Provence and Avignon, and even Dauphine, the canna is 6 feet and 9 lines, or 1 Paris ell and \( \frac{3}{4} \). See Canna.
We have lately had some accurate comparisons between some of the French weights and measures and those of England, the result of which is, (1.) The Paris half toise, as set off on the standard kept in the Royal Society; contains of English inches by the same standard \( \frac{38}{355} \); whence it appears, that the English yard and foot is, to the Paris half toise and foot, nearly as 107 to 114; for as 107 to 114, so is 36 to \( \frac{38}{355} \).
(2.) The Paris 2 marc, or 16 ounce weight, weighs English Troy grains 7560; whence it appears, that the English Troy pound of 12 ounces, or 5760 grains, is to the Paris 2 marc, or 16 ounce weight, as 16 to 21; that the Paris ounce weighs English Troy grains 472.5, and that consequently, the English Troy ounce is to the Paris ounce as 64 is to 63.
(3.) The English Avoirdupois pound weighs Troy grains 7004; whence the Avoirdupois ounce, whereby 16 make a pound, is found equal to 437.7 Troy grains.—And it follows, that the Troy pound is to the Avoirdupois pound as 88 to 107 nearly; for as 88 to 107, so is 5760 to 7003.635: that the Troy ounce is to the Avoirdupois ounce, as 80 to 73 nearly; for as 80 to 73, so is 480 to 438. And, lastly, that the Avoirdupois pound and ounce is to the Paris two marc weight and ounce, as 63 to 68 nearly; for as 63 to 68, so is 7004 to 759873. See Weight.
(4.) The Paris foot expressed in decimals, is equal to 1.654 of the English foot, or contains 12.785 English inches. See Foot.
3.] The standard in Holland, Flanders, Sweden, a good part of Germany, many of the Hans-towns, as Dantzig, and Hamburg, and at Geneva, Franckfort, &c. is likewise the ell; but the ell, in all these places, differs from the Paris ell. In Holland, it contains one Paris foot eleven lines, or four sevenths of the Paris ell. The Flanders ell contains two feet one inch five lines and half a line; or seven-twelfths of the Paris ell. The ell of Germany, Brabant, &c. is equal to that of Flanders.
4.] The Italian measure is the braccio, brace, or fathom. This obtains in the states of Modena, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Milan, Mantua, Bologna, &c. but is of different lengths. At Venice, it contains one Paris foot eleven inches three lines, or eight fifteenths of the Paris ell. At Boulogna, Modena, and Mantua, the brace is the same as at Venice. At Lucca it contains one Paris foot nine inches ten lines, or half a Paris ell. At Florence, it contains one foot nine inches four lines, or forty-nine hundredths of a Paris ell. At Milan, the brace for measuring of silks is one Paris foot seven inches four lines, or four-ninths of a Paris ell: that for woollen cloths is the same with the ell of Holland. Lastly, at Bergama, the brace is one foot seven inches six lines, or five-ninths of a Paris ell. The usual measure at Naples, however, is the canna, containing five feet ten inches and two lines, or one Paris ell and fifteen seventeenth.
5.] The Spanish measure is the vara or yard, in some places called the barra; containing seventeen twenty-fourths of the Paris ell. But the measure in Castile and Valencia is the pan, span, or palm; which is used, together with the canna, at Genoa. In Aragon, the vara is equal to a Paris ell and a half, or five feet five inches six lines.
6.] The Portuguese measure is the cavedos, containing two feet, eleven lines, or four-sevenths of a Paris ell; and the varra, a hundred and six whereof make a hundred Paris ells.
7.] The Piedmontese measure is the ras, containing one Paris foot nine inches ten lines, or half a Paris ell. In Sicily, their measure is the canna, the same with that of Naples.
8.] The Malcovite measures are the cubit, equal to one Paris foot four inches two lines; and the arcin, two whereof are equal to three cubits.
9.] The Turkish and Levant measures are the picq., containing two feet two inches and two lines, or three fifths of the Paris ell. The Chinese measure, the cobre; Measure. cobre; ten whereof are equal to three Paris ells. In Peria, and some parts of the Indies, the guze, whereof there are two kinds; the royal guze, called also the guze monkeyer, containing two Paris feet ten inches eleven lines, or four-fifths of the Paris ell; and the shorter guze, called simply guze, only two thirds of the former. At Goa and Ormuz, the measure is the vara, the same with that of the Portuguese, having been introduced by them. In Pegu, and some other parts of the Indies, the cando or candi, equal to the ell of Venice. At Goa, and other parts, they use a larger cando, equal to seventeen Dutch ells; exceeding that of Babel and Balfora by $\frac{1}{4}$ per centum, and the vera by $6\frac{1}{2}$. In Siam, they use the ken, short of three Paris feet by one inch. The ken contains two foks, the fok two keubs, the keub twelve nious or inches, the niou to be equal to eight grains of rice, i.e., to about nine lines. At Cambodia, they use the hafter; in Japan, the tatam; and the span on some of the coasts of Guinea.
### Tables of Long Measure.
| Barley-corn | Inch | Palm | Span | Foot | Cubit | Yard | Pace | Fathom | Pole | Furlong | Mile | |-------------|------|------|------|------|-------|------|------|--------|------|---------|-----| | 3 | | 9 | 27 | 36 | 54 | 108 | 180 | 216 | 594 | 23760 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 190080 |
### Scripture Measures reduced into English.
| Digit | Palm | Span | Cubit | Fathom | Ezechiel's reed | Arabian pole | Schœnus, or measuring line | |-------|------|------|-------|--------|-----------------|--------------|---------------------------| | | 4 | 12 | 24 | 96 | 144 | 192 | 1920 | | | | | | | | | |
### The Scripture Itinerary Measures.
| Cubit | Miles | Paces | Feet | |-------|-------|-------|------| | | | | 1824 |
| Stadium | Sab. day's journey | Eastern mile | Parasan | a day's journey | |---------|-------------------|--------------|---------|----------------| | | | | | |
---
4. Grecian ### 4. Grecian
| Measure | Feet | Dec. | |---------|------|------| | Dactylus, digit | - | 0.75541\(\frac{3}{8}\) | | Doron, dochme | - | 3.0218\(\frac{3}{4}\) | | Lichas | - | 7.5546\(\frac{7}{8}\) | | Orthodon | - | 8.3101\(\frac{9}{16}\) | | Spithame | - | 9.0656\(\frac{3}{4}\) | | Foot | - | 0.0875 | | Cubit | - | 1.5984\(\frac{3}{8}\) | | Pygon | - | 3.109\(\frac{3}{8}\) | | Cubit larger | - | 6.13125 | | Pace | - | 0.0525 | | Furlong | - | 4 | | Mile | - | 5 |
### 5. Roman
| Measure | Feet | Dec. | |---------|------|------| | Digitus transversus | - | 0.725\(\frac{1}{4}\) | | Uncia | - | 0.967 | | Palmus minor | - | 2.901 | | Pes | - | 11.604 | | Palmipes | - | 2.505 | | Cubitus | - | 5.406 | | Gradus | - | 5.01 | | Paffus | - | 10.02 | | Stadium | - | 4.5 | | Milliare | - | 967 |
### 6. Proportions of several Long Measures to each other, by M. Picard.
- The Rhinland or Leyden foot (12 whereof make the Rhinland perch) supposed 696 - The English foot 675\(\frac{3}{4}\) - The Paris foot 720 - The Amsterdam foot, from that of Leyden, by Snellius 629 - The Danish foot (two whereof make the Danish ell) 701\(\frac{3}{8}\) - The Swedish foot 658\(\frac{3}{4}\) - The Brussels foot 609\(\frac{1}{2}\) - The Dantzig foot, from Hevelius's Selenographia 636 - The Lyons foot, by M. Auzout 757\(\frac{7}{8}\) - The Bologna foot, by the same 843
The braccio of Florence, by the same, and Father Mersennoe 1290 The palm of the architects at Rome, according to the observations of Meffrs Picard and Auzout 494\(\frac{1}{2}\) The Roman foot in the Capitol, examined by Meffrs Picard and Auzout 653 or 653\(\frac{1}{2}\) The same from the Greek foot 652 From the vineyard Matti 657\(\frac{1}{2}\) From the palm 658\(\frac{1}{4}\) From the pavement of the pantheon, supposed to contain ten Roman feet 653 From a slip of marble in the same pavement, supposed to contain three Roman feet 650 From the pyramid of Cestius, supposed to contain 95 Roman feet 653\(\frac{1}{2}\) From the diameters of the columns in the arch of Septimius Severus
653 ft.
From a slip of porphyry in the pavement of the pantheon
653 ft.
See on this subject Phil. Trans. Vol. LI. art. 69. p. 774.
7. Proportions of the Long Measures of several nations to the English foot, taken from Mr Greaves, Auzout, Picard, and Eifenschmid. See Foot.
The English standard foot being divided into 1000 equal parts, the other measures will have the proportions to it, which follow:
| Measure | Feet | Inches | |--------------------------|--------|--------| | English foot | 1000 | 12 | | Paris foot | 1068 | 12,816 | | Venetian foot | 1162 | 13,944 | | Rhineland foot | 1033 | 12,396 | | Strasbourg foot | 952 | 11,424 | | Norimbergh foot | 1000 | 12 | | Danzig foot | 944 | 11,328 | | Danish foot | 1042 | 12,504 | | Swedish foot | 977 | 11,733 | | Derahor cubit of Cairo | 1824 | 21,888 | | Persian arith | 3197 | 38,304 | | Greater Turkish pike | 2200 | 26,4 | | Lesser Turkish pike | 2131 | 25,572 | | Braccio at Florence | 1913 | 22,956 | | Braccio for woollen at Siena | 1242 | 14,924 | | Braccio for linen at Siena | 1974 | 23,688 | | Canna at Naples | 6880 | 82,56 | | Vera at Almaria and Gibraltar | 2760 | 33,12 | | Palmo di Archetti at Rome| 732 | 87,84 | | Canna di Archetti | 7320 | 87,84 | | Palmo di braccio di mercantia | 695 | 83,46 | | Genoa palm | 815 | 9,78 | | Bolognian foot | 1250 | 15 | | Antwerp ell | 2283 | 27,306 | | Amsterdam ell | 2268 | 27,216 | | Leyden ell | 2260 | 27,12 | | Paris draper's ell | 3029 | 47,148 | | Paris mercer's ell | 3937 | 47,244 |
8. Different Itinerary Measures.
A French league is about 2 1/2 English miles A German mile 4 ditto A Dutch mile 3 1/2 ditto An Italian mile 4 1/2 ditto A Spanish league 3 1/2 ditto A Russian verst 3 1/2 ditto
H. Square, Superficial, or Land Measure.
1. English square measures are raised from the yard of 36 inches multiplied into itself, and thus producing 1296 square inches in the square yard; the divisions of this are square feet and inches; and the multiples, poles, rods, and acres. Because the length of a pole is 5 1/2 yards, the square of the same contains 304 square yards. A square mile contains 640 square acres. In measuring fens and woodlands, 18 feet are generally allowed to the pole, and 21 feet in forest lands.
A hide of land, frequently mentioned in the earlier part of the English history, contained about 100 arable acres; and 5 hides were esteemed a knight's fee. At the time of the Norman conquest, there were 243,600 hides in England.
2. Scotch square or land measure is regulated by the Scotch ell: 36 square ells = 1 fall, 40 falls = 1 rood, 4 roods = 1 acre.—The proportion between the Scotch and English acre, supposing the feet in both measures alike, is as 1369 to 1089, or nearly as 5 to 4. If the difference of the feet be regarded, the proportion is as 10,000 to 7869. The length of the chain for measuring land in Scotland is 24 ells, or 74 feet.—A husbandland contains 6 acres of flock and scythe land, that is, of land that may be tilled with a plough or mown with a scythe: 13 acres of arable land make one ox-gang, and 4 ox-gangs make a pound-land of old extent.
3. French square measures are regulated by 12 square lines in the inch square; 12 inches in the foot, 22 feet in the perch, and 100 perches in the arpent or acre.
Tables of Square Measure.
1. English.
| Inches | Feet | Yards | Paces | Poles | Rood | Acre | |--------|------|-------|-------|-------|------|------| | 144 | 9 | 3600 | 25 | 2 1/2| 10.89| 46 | | | | | | | | | | 1568160| 10890| 1210 | 435.6 | 46 | | | | 6272640| 43560| 4840 | 1743.6| 160.4| | |
Note, Actus major was 14,400 square feet, equal to a semis; clima, 3600 square feet, equal to sefuncia; and actus minimus equal to a sextans. The English measures were originally raised from troy-weight; it being enacted by several statutes, that eight pounds troy of wheat, gathered from the middle of the ear and well dried, should weigh a gallon of wine measure, the divisions and multiples whereof were to form the other measures; at the same time it was also ordered, that there should be but one liquid measure in the kingdom; yet custom has prevailed, and there having been introduced a new weight, viz., the avoidupois, we have now a second standard gallon adjusted thereto, and therefore exceeding the former in the proportion of the avoidupois weight to troy weight. From this latter standard are raised two several measures, the one for ale, the other for beer. The sealed gallon at Guildhall, which is the standard for wines, spirits, oils, &c., is supposed to contain 231 cubic inches; and on this supposition the other measures raised therefrom, will contain as in the table underneath: yet, by actual experiment, made in 1688, before the lord-mayor and the commissioners of excise, this gallon was found to contain only 224 cubic inches: it was however agreed to continue the common supposed contents of 231 cubic inches; so that all computations stand on their old footing. Hence, as 12 is to 231, so is 14½ to 281½ the cubic inches in the ale-gallon: but in effect the ale-quart contains 70½ cubic inches, on which principle the ale and beer gallon will be 282 cubic inches. The several division and multiples of these measures, and their proportions, are exhibited in the tables underneath.
The barrel for ale in London is 32 gallons, and the barrel for beer 36 gallons. In all other places of England, the barrel, both for ale and beer, is 34 gallons.
The Scotch liquid measure is founded on the pint. The Scotch pint was formerly regulated by a standard jug of cast metal, the custody of which was committed to the borough of Stirling. This jug was supposed to contain 105 cubic inches; and though, after several careful trials, it has been found to contain only about 103½ inches; yet, in compliance with established custom, founded on that opinion, the pint flours are still regulated to contain 103 inches, and the customary ale measures are about ¼ above that standard. It was enacted by James I. of Scotland, that the pint should contain 41 ounces Trone weight of the clear water of Tay, and by James VI. that it should contain 55 Scots Troy ounces of the clear water of Leith. This affords another method of regulating the pint, and also ascertains the ancient standard of the Trone weight. As the water of Tay and Leith are alike, the Trone weight must have been to the Scots Troy weight as 55 to 41; and therefore, the pound Trone must have contained about 21½ ounces Scots Troy.
- 4 gills = 1 mutchkin. - 2 mutchkins = 1 chopin. - 2 chopins = 1 pint. - 2 pints = 1 quart. - 4 quarts = 1 gallon.
The Scotch quart contains 210 inches; and is, therefore, about ¼ less than the English wine gallon, and about ¼ less than the ale-gallon.
As to the liquid measures of foreign nations, it is to be observed, that their several vessels for wine, vinegar, &c., have also various denominations according to their different sizes and the places wherein they are used. The woaders of Germany, for holding Rhenish and Moselle wines, are different in their gauges; some containing 14 aumes of Amsterdam-measure, and others more or less. The aume is reckoned at Amsterdam for 8 steckans, or 20 verges, or for ½ of a ton of 2 pipes; or 4 barrels of French or Bordeaux, which ½ at this latter place is called tiercon, because 3 of them make a pipe or 2 barrels, and 6 the said ton. The steckan is 16 mingles, or 32 pints; and the verge is, in respect of the said Rhenish and Moselle, and some other sorts of wine, 6 mingles; but, in measuring brandy, it consists of 6½ mingles. The aume is divided into 4 ankers, and the anker into 2 steckans, or 32 mingles. The anker is taken sometimes for ¼ of a ton, or 4 barrels; on which footing the Bordeaux-barrel ought to contain at Amsterdam (when the cask is made according to the just gauge) 124 steckans, or 200 mingles wine and lees; or 12 steckans, or 192 mingles racked wine; so that the Bordeaux-ton of wine contains 50 steckans, or 800 mingles, wine and lees; and 48 steckans, or 768 mingles of pure wine. The barrels or poingons of Nantes and other places on the river Loire, contain only 12 steckans Amsterdam measure. The wine-ton of Rochelle, Cognac, Charente, and the Isle of Rhé, differs very little from the ton of Bordeaux, and consequently from the barrels and pipes. A ton of wine of Chaloffe, Bayonne, and the neighbouring places, is reckoned 60 steckans, and the barrel 15, Amsterdam-measure.
The muid of Paris contains 150 quarts, or 300 pints, wine and lees; or 250 pints clear wine; of which muids 3 make a ton, and the fractions are:
- The muid = 36 fettiers - The fetier = 4 quarts - The quart = 2 pints - The pint = 2 chopins - The chopin = 2 demi-fettiers - The demi-fetier = 2 poissons.
The muid is also composed of pipes, or poingons, quarteaux, queues, and demiqueues; those poingons of Paris and Orleans contain about 15 steckans Amsterdam measure, and ought to weigh with the cask 665 lb. a little more or less. In Provence they reckon by milleroles, and the millerole of Toulon contains 66 Paris pints, or 100 pints of Amsterdam, nearly; and the Paris pint is nearly equal to the English wine-quart.
The butts or pipes from Cadiz, Malaga, Alicante, Benecarlo, Saloe, and Mataro, and from the Canaries, from Lisbon, Oporto, and Fayal, are very different in their gauges, though in affreightments they are all reckoned two to the ton.
Vinegar is measured in the same manner as wine; but the measures for brandies are different: the spirits from France, Spain, Portugal, &c., are generally shipped in large casks called pipes, butts, and pieces, according to the places from whence they are reported, &c. In France, brandy is shipped in casks called pieces at Bourdeaux, and pipes at Rochelle, Cognac, the Isle of Rhé, and other neighbouring places. places, which contain some more and some less, even from 60 to 90 Amsterdam verges or veertels, according to the capacity of the vessels, and the places they come from, which being reduced into barrels will stand as follows, viz.
At Rochelle, Cognac, the Isle of Rhé, and the country of Aunis 27 Veertels At Nantes, and several places of Bretagne and Anjou 29 Veertels At Bordeaux, and different parts of Guienne 32 Verges At Amsterdam, and other cities of Holland 30 Veertels At Hamburg and Lubeck 30 Verges At Embrden 27 Verges
In Provence and Languedoc, brandy is sold by the quintal, the casks included; and at Bruges in Flanders, the verges are called fitters of 16 stops each, and the spirit is sold at too much per stop.
Olive oil is also shipped in casks of various sizes, according to the custom of the places where it is embarked, and the conveniency of its voyage. In England it is sold by the ton of 236 gallons; and at Amsterdam by the ton of 717 mingles, or 1434 pints. In Provence it is sold by milleroles of 66 Paris-pints; from Spain and Portugal it is brought in pipes or butts, of different gauges; at the first place it is sold by roves, whereof 40 go to the butt; and at the latter place by almoudas, whereof 26 makes a pipe. Train oil is sold in England by the ton, at Amsterdam by the barrel.
### Table of Liquid Measure
#### 1. English
| Solid inches | Pint | Gallon | |--------------|------|--------| | 28 5/8 | 8 | |
| Rundlet | Barret | Tierce | |---------|--------|--------| | 4158 | 144 | 18 | | 7276 1/2 | 252 | 31 1/2 | | 9702 | 336 | 42 |
| Hoghead | Puncheon | Butt or pipe | Tun | |---------|----------|---------------|-----| | 14533 | 504 | 63 | 3 1/2 | | 19279 | 672 | 84 | 4 1/2 | | 29106 | 1008 | 126 | 7 4 3 | | 58212 | 2016 | 252 | 14 8 |
#### 2. Jewish reduced to English Wine-measure
| Caph | Log | Cab | Hin | Seah | Bath, or Ephah | Coron, or Chomer | |------|-----|-----|-----|------|-----------------|------------------| | 1 1/3 | - | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | |
#### 3. Attic ### 3. Attic reduced to English Wine-measure.
| Measure | Gal. | Pints | Sol. Dec. | |---------|------|-------|-----------| | Cochliarion | 2 | Cheme | 1/3 | 0.0356 | | 2 1/4 | Mystron | 6/8 | 0.0712 | | 5 | Conche | 1/4 | 0.0894 | | 10 | Cyathos | 1/4 | 0.1781 | | 15 | Oxybaphon | 1/8 | 0.3561 | | 60 | Cotyle | 1/8 | 0.5351 | | 120 | Xestes | 1/3 | 2.141 | | 720 | Chous | 1 | 4.283 | | 8640 | Metretes | 6 | 25.698 |
### 4. Roman reduced to English Wine-measure.
| Measure | Gal. | Pints | Sol. Dec. | |---------|------|-------|-----------| | Ligula | 4 | Cyathus | 1/3 | 0.1171 | | 6 | Acetabulum | 1/5 | 0.469 | | 12 | Quartarius | 1/8 | 0.704 | | 24 | Hemina | 1/4 | 1.409 | | 48 | Sextarius | 1/8 | 2.818 | | 288 | Congius | 1 | 5.636 | | 1152 | Urna | 7 | 4.942 | | 2304 | Amphora | 3 4 | 5.33 | | 46080 | Culeus | 7 | 10.66 |
### IV. Measures of Capacity for things Dry.
1. **English dry or corn measure.** The standard for measuring corn, salt, coals, and other dry goods, in England, is the Winchester gallon, which contains 272 1/3 cubic inches. The bushel contains 8 gallons, or 2178 inches. A cylindrical vessel, 8 1/3 inches diameter, and 8 inches deep, is appointed to be used as a bushel in levying the malt-tax. A vessel of these dimensions is rather less than the Winchester bushel of 8 gallons, for it contains only 2150 inches; though probably there was no difference intended. The denominations of dry measure commonly used, are given in the first of the subjoined tables. Four quarters corn make a chaldron, 5 quarters make a wey or load, and 10 quarters make a ton. In measuring sea-coal, 5 pecks make a bushel, 9 bushels make a quarter or vatt, 4 quarters make a chaldron, and 21 chaldrons make a score.
- 40 feet hewn timber make a load. - 50 feet unhewn timber make a load. - 32 gallons make a herring barrel. - 42 gallons make a salmon barrel. - 1 cwt. gun-powder makes a barrel. - 256 lb soap make a barrel. - 10 dozen candles make a barrel. - 12 barrels make a last.
2. **Scotch dry measure.** There was formerly only one measure of capacity in Scotland; and some commodities were heaped, others fired, or measured exactly to the capacity of the standard. The method of heaping was afterwards forbidden as unequal, and a larger... Measure larger measure appointed for such commodities as that custom had been extended to.
The wheat-firlot, used also for rye, peas, beans, salt, and grass-seeds, contains 21 pints 1 muttonkin, measured by the Stirling jug. The barley firlot, used also for oats, fruit, and potatoes, contains 31 pints. A different method of regulating the firlot was appointed, from the dimensions of a cylindrical vessel. The diameter for both measures was fixed at 19½ inches, the depth 7½ inches for the wheat-firlot, and 10½ for the barley-firlot. A standard constructed by these measures is rather less than when regulated by the pint; and as it is difficult to make vessels exactly cylindrical, the regulation by the pint has prevailed, and the other method gone into disuse.
If the Stirling jug contain 10¾ inches, the wheat-firlot will contain 2109 inches; which is more than 2 per cent. larger than the legal malt-bushel of England, and about 1 per cent. larger than the Winchester bushel; and the barley-firlot will contain 3208 inches. The barley-boll is nearly equal to six legal malt bushels.
In Stirlingshire, 17 pecks are reckoned to the boll; in Invernessshire, 18 pecks; in Ayrshire, the boll is the same as the English quarter. And the firlots, in many places, are larger than the Linlithgow standard.
3.] French dry, are, the litron, bushel, minot, mine, septier, muid, and tun. The litron is divided into two demilitrons, and four quarter-litrons, and contains 36 cubic inches of Paris. By ordonnance, the litron is to be three inches and a half high, and three inches 10 lines broad. The litron for salt is larger, and is divided into two halves, four quarters, eight demi-quarters, and 16 mesurettes. The French bushel is different in different jurisdictions. At Paris it is divided into demi-bushels; each demi-bushel into two quarts; the quart into two half-quarts; and the half-quart into two litrons: so that the bushel contains 16 litrons. By ordonnance the Paris bushel is to be eight inches two lines and a half high, and ten inches broad, or in diameter within-side. The minot consists of three bushels, the mine of two minots or five bushels, the septier of two mines or 12 bushels, and the muid of 12 septiers, or an 144 bushels. The bushel of oats is estimated double that of any other grain; so that there go 24 bushels to make the septier, and 288 to make the muid. It is divided into four picotins, the picotin containing two quarts, or four litrons. The bushel for salt is divided into two half-bushels, four quarters, eight half-quarters, and 16 litrons; four bushels make a minot, 16 a septier, and 192 a muid. The bushel for wood is divided into halves, quarters, and half-quarters. Eight bushels make the minot, 16 a mine; 20 mines, or 320 bushels, the muid. For plaster, 12 bushels make a fack, and 36 facks a muid. For lime, three bushels make a minot, and 48 minots a muid. The minot is by ordonnance to be 11 inches 9 lines high, and 14 inches 8 lines in diameter. The minot is composed of three bushels, or 16 litrons; four minots make a septier, and 48 a muid. The French mine is no real vessel, but an estimation of several others. At Paris the mine contains six bushels, and 24 make the muid; at Rouen the mine is four bushels; and at Dieppe, 18 mines make a Paris muid. The septier differs in different places: at Paris it contains two mines, or eight bushels, and 12 septiers the muid. At Rouen the septier contains two mines or 12 bushels. Twelve septiers make a muid at Rouen as well as at Paris; but 12 of the latter are equal to 14 of the former. At Toulon the septier contains a mine and a half; three of which mines make the septier of Paris. The muid or muiy of Paris consists of 12 septiers; and is divided into mines, minots, bushels, &c. That for oats is double that for other grain, i.e. contains twice the number of bushels. At Orleans the muid is divided into mines, but those mines only contain two Paris septiers and a half. In some places they use the tun in lieu of the muid; particularly at Nantes, where it contains 10 septiers of 16 bushels each, and weighs between 2200 and 2250 pounds. Three of these tuns make 28 Paris septiers. At Rochelle, &c. the tun contains 42 bushels, and weighs two per cent. less than that of Nantes. At Brest it contains 20 bushels, is equal to 10 Paris septiers, and weighs about 2240 pounds. See Tun.
4.] Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Prussian, and Muscovite. In these places, they estimate their dry things on the foot of the laft, left, leth, or lecht; so called according to the various pronunciations of the people who use it. In Holland, the laft is equal to 19 Paris septiers, or 38 Bourdeaux bushels, and weighs about 4560 pounds; the laft they divide into 27 mudes, and the mude into four schepel. In Poland, the laft is 40 Bourdeaux bushels, and weighs about 4800 Paris pounds. In Prussia, the laft is 133 Paris septiers. In Sweden and Muscovy, they measure by the great and little last; the first containing 12 barrels, and the second half as many. See Last. In Muscovy, they likewise use the chefford, which is different in various places: that of Archangel is equal to three Rouen bushels.
5.] Italian. At Venice, Leghorn, and Lucca, they estimate their dry things on the foot of the staro, or italo; the staro of Leghorn weighs 54 pounds; 112 staros and seven-eighths are equal to the Amsterdam last. At Lucca, 119 staros make the last of Amsterdam. The Venetian staro weighs 128 Paris pounds: the staro is divided into four quarters. Thirty-five staros and one-fifth, or 140 quarters and four-fifths, make the last of Amsterdam. At Naples and other parts, they use the tomolo or tomato, equal to one-third of the Paris septier. Thirty-five tomoli and a half make the carro: and a carro and a half, or 54 tomoli, make the last of Amsterdam. At Palermo, 16 tomoli make the salma, and four moundi the tomato. Ten salmas and three-sevenths, or 171 tomoli and three-sevenths, make the last of Amsterdam.
6.] Flemish. At Antwerp, &c. they measure by the viertel; 32 and one-half whereof make 19 Paris septiers. At Hamburgh, the schepel; 90 whereof make 19 Paris septiers.
7.] Spanish and Portuguese. At Cadiz, Bilboa, and St Sebastian, they use the fanega; 23 whereof make the Nantes or Rochelle tun, or nine Paris septiers and a half; though the Bilboa fanega is somewhat larger, insomuch that 21 fanegas make a Nantes tun. At Seville, &c. they use the anagoras, containing a little more than the Paris mine; 36 anagoras make 19 Paris septiers. At Bayonne, &c. the concha; 30 whereof are equal to nine Paris septiers and an half. At Lisbon, the alquier, a very small measure, 240 whereof make 19 Paris septiers, 60 the Lisbon muid. ### Tables of Dry Measure
#### 1. English
| Solid inches | Pint | Gallon | Peck | Cal. | Pint | Sol. inch. | Dec. | |--------------|------|--------|------|------|------|-----------|------| | 33.6 | | | | | | | 0.031| | 268.8 | | | | | | | 0.073| | 537.6 | | | | | | | 1.211| | 2150.4 | | | | | | | 4.036| | 17203.2 | | | | | | | 12.107| | 512 | | | | | | | 26.500| | 64 | | | | | | | 18.969|
#### 2. Scripture Dry, reduced to English
| Gachal | Cab | Gomor | Seah | Ephah | Leteeth | Chomer, or coron | |--------------|------|-------|------|-------|---------|-----------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
#### 3. Attic Measures of Capacity for Things dry, reduced to English Corn Measure
| Cochliarion | Cyathos | Oxybaphon | Cotyle | Xestes | Choenix | Medimnos | |-------------|---------|-----------|--------|--------|---------|----------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
#### 4. Roman Measures of Capacity for Things dry, reduced to English Corn Measure
| Ligula | Cyathus | Acetabulum | Hemina | Sextarius | Semimodius | Modius | |--------|---------|------------|--------|-----------|------------|--------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Measure.
Measure of Wood for Firing, is usually the cord; four feet high, and as many broad, and eight long; this is divided into two half-cords, called ways, and by the French membrures, from the pieces stuck upright to bound them; or voyes, as being supposed half a waggon-load.
Measure for Horse, is the hand, which by statute contains four inches.
Measure, among botanists. In describing the parts of plants, Tournefort introduced a geometrical scale, which many of his followers have retained. They measured every part of the plant; and the essence of the description consisted in an accurate mensuration of the whole.
As the parts of plants, however, are liable to variation in no circumstance so much as that of dimension, Linnaeus very rarely admits any other mensuration than that arising from the respective length and breadth of the parts compared together. In cases that require actual mensuration, the same author recommends, in lieu of Tournefort's artificial scale, the following natural scale of the human body, which he thinks is much more convenient, and equally accurate.
The scale in question consists of 11 degrees, which are as follows: 1. A hair's-breadth, or the diameter of a hair, (capillus.) 2. A line, (linea), the breadth of the crescent or white appearance at the root of the finger, (not thumb), measured from the skin towards the body of the nail; a line is equal to 12 hair-breadths, and is the 12th part of a Parisian inch. 3. A nail, (unguis), the length of a finger-nail; equal to six lines, or half a Parisian inch. 4. A thumb, (pollex), the length of the first or outermost joint of the thumb; equal to a Parisian inch. 5. A palm, (palmus), the breadth of the palm exclusive of the thumb; equal to three Parisian inches. 6. A span, (spithama), the distance between the extremity of the thumb and that of the first finger when extended; equal to seven Parisian inches. 7. A great span, (dodran), the distance between the extremity of the thumb and that of the little finger, when extended; equal to nine inches. 8. A foot, (pes), measuring from the elbow to the basis of the thumb; equal to 12 Parisian inches. 9. A cubit, (cubitum), from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger; equal to 17 inches. 10. An arm-length, (brachium), from the arm-pit to the extremity of the middle finger; equal to 24 Parisian inches, or two feet. 11. A fathom, (orgya), the measure of the human stature; the distance between the extremities of the two middle fingers, when the arms are extended; equal, where greatest, to six feet.
Measure is also used to signify the cadence and time observed in poetry, dancing, and music, to render them regular and agreeable.
The different measures or metres in poetry, are the different manners of ordering and combining the quantities, or the long and short syllables. Thus, hexameter, pentameter, iambic, sapphic verses, &c., consist of different measures.
In English verses, the measures are extremely various and arbitrary, every poet being at liberty to introduce any new form that he pleases. The most usual are the heroic, generally consisting of five long and five short syllables; and verses of four feet; and of Measure, three feet and a caesura, or single syllable.
The ancients, by variously combining and transposing their quantities, made a vast variety of different measures. Of words, or rather feet of two syllables, they formed a spondeo, consisting of two long syllables; a pyrrhic, of two short syllables; a trochee, of a long and a short syllable; and an iambic, of a short and a long syllable.
Of their feet of three syllables they formed a molossus, consisting of three long syllables; a tibrach, of three short syllables; a dactyl, of one long and two short syllables; and an anapest, of two short and one long syllable. The Greek poets contrived 124 different combinations or measures, under as many different names, from feet of two syllables to those of six.
Measure in Music, the interval or space of time which the person who beats time, takes between the raising and falling of his hand or foot, in order to conduct the movement, sometimes quicker, and sometimes slower, according to the kind of music, or the subject that is sung or played.
The measure is that which regulates the time we are to dwell on each note. See Time.
The ordinary or common measure is one second, or 60th part of a minute, which is nearly the space between the beats of the pulse or heart; the systole, or contraction of the heart, answering to the elevation of the hand; and its diastole, or dilatation, to the letting it fall. The measure usually takes up the space that a pendulum of two feet and an half long employs in making a swing or vibration. The measure is regulated according to the different quality or value of the notes in the piece; by which the time that each note is to take up is expressed. The semibreve, for instance, holds one rise, and one fall; and this is called the measure, or whole measure; sometimes the measure-note, or time-note; the minim, one rise, or one fall; and the crotchet, half a rise, or half a fall, there being four crotchets in a full measure.
Measure Binary or Double, is that wherein the rise and fall of the hand are equal.
Measure Ternary or Triple, is that wherein the fall is double to the rise, or where two minims are played during a fall, and but one in the rise. To this purpose, the number 3 is placed at the beginning of the lines, when the measure is intended to be triple; and a C, when the measure is to be common or double. This rising and falling of the hands was called by the Greeks ἀναβασις and ἄποβασις. St Augustine calls it playma, and the Spaniards compar. See Arsis and Thesis.
Powder Measures in Artillery, are made of copper, and contain from an ounce to 12 pounds; these are very convenient in a siege, when guns or mortars are loaded with loose powder, especially in ricochet firing, &c.