Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

Meafure.
M E A
C 37 ] M E A
Tables of Square Meafun.
i. English.
Inches
144
1 296
3600
39204
1568160
Feet
2C
27H
I 0890
627264043560
Yards
3°i
121':
4840
Paces
10.89
435-6
Poles
Rood
40
1743-6
x6o
A.cre
2. Grecian fquare meafures were the plethron or acre,
by fome laid to contain 1444, by others 10,000 fquare
feet; and aroura, the half of the plethron. The aroura
of the Egyptians was the fquare 100 cubits.
3. Roman fquare meafure reduced to Englilli. The
integer was the jugerum or acre, which the Romans
divided like the libra or as: thus the jugerum con¬
tained
As
Deunx
Dextans
Dodrans
Res
Septunx
Semis
Quincunx
Triens
Ouadrans
Sextans
Uncia
Square
feet.
28800
26400
24000
21600
19200
16800
14400
I 2000
9600
7200
4800
24OO
288
264
24O
2l6
I92
168
144
120
96
72
48
24
O OQ
in
18
JO
2
34
25
9
x
32
24
16
Square
feet.
250-05
i^3-85
117.64
5r.42
257-46
191.2s
I2C.03
58.82
264.85
198.64
13 2.43
66.21
Note, Aftus major was 14,400 fquare feet, equal to a
femis 5 clima, 3600 fquare feet, equal to fefcuncia 5 and
a ft us minimus equal to a fextans.
jufted thereto, and therefore exceeding the former In
the proportion of the avoirdupois weight to troy
weight. From this latter llandard are raifed two le-
veral meafures, the one for ale, the other for beer.
The fealed gallon at Guildhall, which is the ftandard
for wines, Ipirits, oils, &c. is fuppofed to contain 231
cubic inches} and on this fuppolition the other mea¬
fures raifed therefrom will contain as in the table un¬
derneath: yet, by aftual experiment, made in 1688,
before the lord mayor and the commiliioners of excife,
this gallon was found to contain only 224 cubic inches :
it was, however, agreed to continue the common fup¬
pofed contents of 231 cubic inches: fo that all com¬
putations Hand on their old footing. Hence, as 12 is
to 231, fo is I4y| to 281^ the cubic inches in the ale
gallon: but in effeft the ale quart contains 7oi- cubic
inches, on which principle the ale and beer gallon will
be 282 cubic inches. The leveral divifions and mul¬
tiples of thefe meafures, and their proportions, are ex¬
hibited in the tables underneath.
The barrel for ale in London is 32 gallons, and the
barrel for beer 36 gallons. In all oilier places of
England, the barrel, both for ale and beer, is 34.
gallons.
2. Scotch liquid meafure is founded on the pint.
The Scotch pint was formerly regulated by a ftandard
jug of caft metal, the cuftody of which was committed
to the borough of Stirling. This jug was fuppofed
to contain 105 cubic inches; and though, after feveral
careful trials, it has been found to contain only about
103^-inches; yet, in compliance with eftablilhed cu-
ftom, founded on that opinion, the pint Jloups are ftill
regulated to contain 105 inches, and the cuftomary
ale meafures are about above that ftandard. It was
enafted by James I. of Scotland, that the pint fhould
contain 41 ounces trone weight of the clear water of
Tay, and by James VI. that it ftiould contain 55 Scots
troy ounces of the clear water of Leith. This affords
another method of regulating the pint, and alfo alcer-
tains the ancient ftandard of the trone weight. As the
water of Tay and Leith are alike, the trone weight
muff have been to the Scots troy weight as 55 to 41 ;
and therefore the pound trone mutt have contained
about 21-J ounces Scots troy.
4 gills =r 1 mutchkin.
2 mutchkins =r 1 chopin.
2 chopins ~ 1 pint.
2 pints = 1 quart.
4 quarts =: 1 gallon.
III. CUBICAL Meafures, or Meafures of Capacity, for
Liquids.
1. The Englifh meafares were originally raifed from
troy weight: it being enafted by feveral ftatutes, that
eight pounds troy of wheat, gathered from the middle
of the ear, and well dried, thould weigh a gallon of
wine meafure, the divifions and multiples whereof were
to form the other meafures; at the fame time it was
alfo ordered, that there fhould be but one liquid mea¬
fure in the kingdom : yet cuftom has prevailed ; and
there having been introduced a new weight, viz. the
avoirdupois, we have now a fecond ftandard gallon ad-
The Scotch quart contains 210 inches ; and is, there¬
fore, about To lefs than the Englifh wine gallon, and
about ^ lefs than the ale gallon.
3. As to the liquid meafures of foreign nations, it
is to be obferved, that their feveral veffels for wine, vi¬
negar, &c. have alfo various denominations accord¬
ing to their different fizes and the places wherein
they are ufed. The woeders of Germany, for hold¬
ing Rhenifh and Mofelle wines, are different in their
gauges; fome containing 14 aumes of Amnerdam
meafure, and others more or lefs. The aume is reckon¬
ed at Amfterdam for 8 fteckans, or 20 verges, or for
of a tun of 2 pipes, or 4 barrels, of French or Bour-
deaux, which at this latter place is called tier go ny,
becaufe: