Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG

SPA
r 53+ 3 SPA
Spain.
Modern Silver Coins.
Coins.
Real
Real de vellon
Medio real de plata
Real de plata 1
Media pecata j
Pecata 1
Real de a dos §
Efcudo 1
Medio duro
Duro
Pezoduro
Real de a ocho
?
}
Value jn fterling money.
- - id¬
iot!.
- 2s. id.
- 4s. 2d.
205
Weights
and mea¬
sures.
The Spanilh weights and meafures vary confiderably
in different parts o£ the kingdom, as almoft every pro¬
vince has both peculiar to itfelf. The pound generally
confiffs of 16 ounces in that part of the kingdom former¬
ly belonging to the crown of Caftile, and of 12 ounces
in thole annexed to the crown of Aragon j viz. in Ara¬
gon, in the kingdom of Valencia, and in Catalonia ;
but the ounce is not the fame. We lhall here only par¬
ticularize the weights of Caftile.
In the Caftiles they reckon by charges, quintals, aro-
kas, arreldes, pounds, ounces, and drams. The follow¬
ing table gives the proportional value of the Caftilian
weights.
The charge-contain*
quintal
—— aroba
——— arrelde
■—— pound
■ ounce
dram
3 quintals
4 arobas
25 pounds
4 pounds
16 ounces
16 drams
30 grains
lb.
300
100
25
4
1
os.
o
o
o
o
o
!
—— gianr
The meafures are ftill more complicated than the
weights •, and efpecially the meafures of capacity will
require to be coniidered rather more in detail. We
ftiail, as ufual, diftinguilh them into long meafure, fupex-
ficial or Icind meafure, and mtafures of capacity.
Long meafure.—The ftandard lineal meafure in Spain
is the royal foot, confifting of 1531V0 lines \ and bear¬
ing to the Englifti foot the proportion of about 153 to
144, or of 17 to 16. This foot, however, is not in ge¬
neral ufe, almoft: every province having its own foot,
which is generally rather lefs than the royal foot. Thus,
the foot in Caftile is 8 lines lefs, and that of Valencia
about 9^-lines lefs than the ftandard.
Of royal feet 100 are equivalent to 10 2 feet 7 inches
of Catalonia, to 107 feet of Valencia, to 115 feet 10
inches and 4 lines of Caftile.
One hundred feet of Catalonia are equal to 92 feet
2 inches 3 lines of the royal foot, to 97 feet 54 lines
of Valencia, and 104 feet 11 inches 11 lines of Caftile.
In Valencia 100 feet are equivalent to 93 feet 4
inches 10 lines of the royal foot, to 98 feet 9 inches of
Catalonia j and 107 feet 2 inches 6 lines of Caftile.
In Caftile, 100 feet are equal to 86 feet 1 inch 5 lines
of the royal foot; to 93 feet 4 inches 9^- lines of Va¬
lencia •, and 92 feet 2 inches 3 lines of Catalonia.
Cloths and fluffs in Catalonia, are meafured by cams>
in other parts of the kingdom by varasthe cana is di¬
vided into 8 pams, the vara into four. The proportions
which thefe bear to the royal foot will be feen from the
following table ;
Pam of Catalonia, -
Cana of Catalonia, - - 1
Six pams make the Paris ell,
Pam of Caftile, -
Vara of Caftile, - - - ;
Pam of the kingdom of Valencia, i
Five paras and a little more than
^-th, or one vara one pam and a
little more than £th, make a Paris f
ell.
Pam of Aragon, -
Vara of the Afturias,
Vara of Aragon, -
A little lefs than 6 pams, or one vara
two pams, make a Paris ell.
Pam of Gallicia for linen drapery,
Vara of Gallicia for ditto,
Ft et.
O
4
o;
2
2
o
2
Inche
7
10
7f
9
5R
Land Meafure.—Land in the provinces belonging to
the crown of Caftile is meafured by ungadas, fanegas,
efiadales, brq/fes, varas, pas, and arar madas. Of thefe
the ungada contains 50 fanegas, about 204^ feet $ the
fanega 400 eftadales =r about 4TI5- feet} the eftadale
two braffes == about ten feet} the brafs two varas, or
about 5 feet 1 inch 4 lines; the pas about i^d of a
vera, and the aranzada about 73 varas. This laft is
only uftd for roeafuring vineyards.
In Rifcayland is meafured by carros,pla%aj, and cele-
mines ; and in Valencia by yugadas, cahi-zadas, funegas,
brafes, and pums.
Meafures of Capacity.—Corn is meafured in the pro¬
vinces belonging to the crown of Caftile by cahizast
fanegas, celemines, and quartillos; and in Bifcay the
fame meafures are ufed, with the exception of the cahiza.
The cahiza contains 12 fanegas, and is = about il-lb.
French ; the fanega contains 12 celemines = 124 lb. j
the celemine 4 quartillos — lolb. 5^ ounces, and the
quartillo =r 2lb. 7^ ounces.
In Catalonia grain is meafured by falmas, charges,
quarterns, cor tans, and picotis. The falma contains 2
charges or 6 quintals ~ 5461b.; the charge contains
2 quarteras or 3 quintals =r 2731b. 5 and the quartero
12 cortans or 4- quintals 1361b. 8 oz.: the cortan
contains 4 picotis or 131b. of i2oz. 11 lb. 6 oz. y
and the picoti 341b. of 12 oz. zr 2lb. 134-oz.
The meafures for liquids vary exceedingly, according
to the liquid they are intended to contain. Thus, at
Madrid, honey is meafured by arobas and quartillos,
the quartillo being about 14-lbs. and the aroba contain-
ing 32 quartillos. Oil is meafured in New Caftile alfo
by arobas and quartillos, but the quartillo is b^lbs. J
and the aroba contains 4 quartillos, or 25 lbs. In Se¬
ville, oil is meafured by the pipe and aroba, the pipe
containing 34 arobas ; while in Valencia it is meafared
bv charges, arobas, and cantaros, the charge containing
12 arobas, and the cantaro equal 28lbs. 1 oz.
Wine in New Caftile is meafured by moyos, an ima¬
ginary meafure, cantaras, azumbres, quartillos, and fex-
iarios..