Metric System.—The report to the French National Assembly proposing this system was presented 17th March 1791, the meridian measurements finished and adopted 22d June 1799, an intermediate system of division and names tolerated 28th May 1812, abolished and pure decimal system enforced 1st January 1840. Since then Netherlands, Spain (1850), Italy, Greece, Austria (legalized 1876), Germany, Norway and Sweden (1878), Switzerland, Portugal, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentine Republic, Hayti, New Grenada, Mauritius, Congo Free State, and other states have adopted this system. The use of it is permissive in Great Britain, India, Canada, Chili, &c. The theory of the system is that the metre is a 10,000,000th of a quadrant of the earth through Paris; the litre is a cube of 116 metre; the gramme is 11000 of the litre filled with water at 4° C.; the franc weighs 5 grammes. The multiples are as follows:—
| British. | France. | Netherlands. | Other Names. | ||
| ·039 | inch | millimetre | streep | strich | |
| ·394 | ,, | centimetre | duim | zentimeter | |
| 3·937 | ,, | decimetre | palm | ... | |
| 39·370 | ,, | metre | elle or aune | metre, stab | |
| ·62138 | mile | kilometre | mijle | kilometer, stadion | |
| ·176 | pint | decilitre | maatje | ... | |
| 1·761 | ,, | litre | kop | liter or kanne | |
| 17·608 | ,, | decalitre | schepel | ... | |
| 88·038 | ,, | (50 litres) | ... | scheffel | |
| 176·077 | ,, | hectolitre | mudde | { | hektoliter, fasse, |
| kilot | |||||
| ·015 | grain | milligramme | ... | ... | |
| 15·43 | ,, | gramme | wigtije | dr??? | |
| 154·32 | ,, | decagramme | lood | loi??? | |
| 1543·23 | ,, | hectogramme | ons | ... | |
| 7716·17 | ,, | (500 grammes) | ... | pfund, livre | |
| 15432·35 | ,, | kilogramme | pond | ... | |
| 110·23 | ℔ | (50 kilogr.) | ... | { | zentner, zollcent- |
| ner | |||||
| 220·46 | ,, | 100 kilogr. | ... | { | centner métri- |
| que, quintal | |||||
| 2204·62 | ,, | 1000 kilogr. | ... | tonne, tonneau | |
In land measure the unit is the are (10 metres square)=119·60 square yards; and the hectare=2·4736 acres. Other multiples of the units are merely nominal and not practically used.
Table for Conversion of British and Metric Units.
| Inches. | Milli- metres. |
Metres. | Feet. | Cubic Inches. |
Cubic Centimetres. |
Cubic Metres. |
Cubic Feet. | |||
| 1 | 25·399 | 1 | 3·2809 | 1 | 16·386 | 1 | 35·316 | |||
| 2 | 50·799 | 2 | 6·5618 | 2 | 32·772 | 2 | 70·633 | |||
| 3 | 76·199 | 3 | 9·8427 | 3 | 49·168 | 3 | 105·950 | |||
| 4 | 101·598 | 4 | 13·1230 | 4 | 85·545 | 4 | 141·266 | |||
| 5 | 126·998 | 5 | 16·4045 | 5 | 81·931 | 5 | 176·583 | |||
| 6 | 152·397 | 6 | 19·6854 | 6 | 98·317 | 6 | 211·S99 | |||
| 7 | 177·797 | 7 | 22·9663 | 7 | 114·703 | 7 | 247·216 | |||
| 8 | 203·196 | 8 | 26·2472 | 8 | 131·089 | 8 | 282·533 | |||
| 9 | 228·596 | 9 | 29·5281 | 9 | 147·476 | 9 | 317·849 | |||
| Pints. | Litres. | Litres. | Gallons. | Grains. | Grammes. | Kilos. | Pounds. | |||
| 1 | ·56755 | 1 | ·22024 | 1 | ·064799 | 1 | 2·6792 | |||
| 2 | 1·13310 | 2 | ·44049 | 2 | ·129598 | 2 | 5·3584 | |||
| 3 | 1·70265 | 3 | ·66073 | 3 | ·194397 | 3 | 8·0377 | |||
| 4 | 2·27020 | 4 | ·88098 | 4 | ·259196 | 4 | 10·7169 | |||
| 5 | 2·83775 | 5 | 1·10122 | 5 | ·323994 | 5 | 13·3961 | |||
| 6 | 3·40530 | 6 | 1·32146 | 6 | ·388794 | 6 | 16·0754 | |||
| 7 | 3·97286 | 7 | 1·34171 | 7 | ·453593 | 7 | 18·7546 | |||
| 8 | 4·54041 | 8 | 1·76195 | 8 | ·518392 | 8 | 21·4338 | |||
| 9 | 5·10796 | 9 | 1·98220 | 9 | ·583190 | 9 | 24·1130 |
For approximate conversion either way use the following ratios:—8 metres = 315 inches (to 110000); 8 kilometres = 5 miles (to 1170); 4 litres = 7 pints (to 1100); 7 grammes = 108 grains (to 14000).
Burmah.—Paulgaut 1 inch, taim 18 inches, saundaung 22 inches, dha 154 inches, dain 2·43 miles. Kait 251 grains, vis 3·59 ℔, sait 14·36, ten 57·36, candy 533 ℔.
Candia.—Pic 25·11 inches, carga (corn) 4·19 bushels, rottolo 1·165 ℔, cantaro 116·5 ℔, okka 2 65 ℔.}}
Ceylon.—Seer 1·86 pints; 10 parrahs, 1 amomam, 5·6 bushels.
China.—Fau ·141 inches, tsun 1·41, chik 14·1, cheung 141, yan 1410 = 117·5 feet. Other chiks—itinerary 12·17, imperial 12·61, surveyor's 12·70, Peking 13·12, Canton 14·70 inches. Li = 1800 chiks of 12·17, 13·12, or 14·1. Kop 3·3 cubic inches; 10 = shing tsong ·96 pint, tau 9·6 (12 catties of water), hwuh 96 pints. Tael 580·3 grains; 16 = catty, 9328 grains or 1·333 ℔; picul 133·3 ℔.
Denmark.—Tomme 1·03 inches, fod 12·357, aln 24·714; mül 4·6807 miles. Pott ·2126 gallons; 2 = kande, 2 = stübchen, 2 = viertel 1·7008 gallons; anker 8·2914 gallons. Pot ·02657 bushel, skieppe ·47835, fjerding ·9567, tonne 3·8268, last 84·188 bushels. Ort 15·1 grains, quintin 60·3, lod 241·2, unze 482·5, mark 3860, pund 7720 = 1·103 ℔ = 12 kilogramme. Lispund 17·646 ℔, skippund 3·151 cwt. Tönde (land) 1·25 acres, (coal) 4·6775 bushels.
Egypt.—Dirá' of Nilometer 21·3 inches, dirá' beledi 22·7, dirá' handasi 25·13, pic or dirá Stambuli 26·65 inches; pic of land, 29·53, ḳaṣab 139·8 inches. Feddán 1120 acre. Rub'a 6·6 pints or quarts, wébe 6·6 gallons, ardeb 39·6 or 46·4 gallons. Dirhem 60·65 grains, raṭl 1·0131 ℔, oḳḳa 2·7274 ℔, ḳanṭár 101·31 ℔.
India.—Bengal—gaz = yard. Bombay—gaz 27 inches, háth 18 inches. Madras—covid 18·6 inches. Bengal—cottah (ḳaṭṭhá) 80 square yards; 20 = biggah, 1600 square yards. Madras—24 mauris = cawri, 6400 square yards. Seer, 40 = maund, 20 = candy. Equivalents of Indian and other weights are as follows:—
| Commercial Weights, &c. | Avoirdupois. | Bengal Factory. |
Madras. | Bombay. | |||||||||||||
| ℔ | oz. | dr. | mds. | s. | ch. | mds. | vls. | pol. | mds. | s. | plce. | ||||||
| Acheen bahar of 200 | } | 423 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 27 | ||||
| catties of 2·117 ℔. | |||||||||||||||||
| Acheen guncha of 10 | } | 220 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 13 | ·7 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 7 | 34 | 8 | ·6 | ||
| nelly. | |||||||||||||||||
| Anjengo candy of 20 | } | 560 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| maunds. | |||||||||||||||||
| Bencoolen bahar. | 560 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Bengal factory maund. | 74 | 10 | 10 | ·7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 35 | ·7 | 2 | 26 | 20 | |||
| Bengal bazaar maund | 82 | 2 | 2 | ·1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | ·3 | 2 | 37 | 10 | |||
| Bombay candy of 20 | } | 560 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| maunds. | |||||||||||||||||
| Bussorah maund of 76 | } | 90 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | ·6 | 3 | 4 | 35 | ·2 | 3 | 8 | 27 | ·9 | |
| vakias. | |||||||||||||||||
| Bussorah maund of 24 | } | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | ·3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ·8 | 1 | 0 | 21 | ·4 | |
| vakias. | |||||||||||||||||
| Calicut maund of 100 | } | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ·1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 25 | ·7 | ||
| pools. | |||||||||||||||||
| Cochin candy of 20 | } | 543 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 2 | ·6 | 21 | 5 | 36 | ·8 | 19 | 16 | 12 | ·9 | |
| maunds. | |||||||||||||||||
| Gombroon bazaar candy. | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 21 | ·4 | ||||
| Goa candy of 20 maunds. | 495 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 2 | ·9 | 19 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 27 | 4 | ·3 | |||
| Jonkceylon bahar of 8 | } | 485 | 5 | 5 | ·3 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 10 | |||
| capins. | |||||||||||||||||
| Madras candy of 20 | } | 500 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 34 | 8 | ·6 | |||
| maunds. | |||||||||||||||||
| Mocha bahar of 15 frazils | 450 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 25 | ·7 | ||||
| Muscat custom-house | } | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 12 | 15 | ||||
| maund. | |||||||||||||||||
| Mysore candy of 7 morahs. | 560 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Pegu candy of 150 vis. | 500 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 34 | 8 | ·6 | ||||
| Penang pecul of 100 | } | 133 | 5 | 5 | ·3 | 1 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 26 | 4 | 30 | 14 | ·3 | ||
| catties. | |||||||||||||||||
| Surat maund of 40 seers. | 37 | 5 | 5 | ·3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 37 | ·9 | 1 | 13 | 10 | |||
| Surat pucca maund. | 74 | 10 | 10 | ·7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 35 | ·7 | 2 | 26 | 20 | |||
| Tillycherry candy of | } | 600 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 17 | 4 | ·3 | |||
| 20 maunds. | |||||||||||||||||
Bengal bazaar weights are 110 greater than factory weights. Grain and native liquids are usually weighed.
Japan.—Boo, 10 = sun, 10 = shaku (11·948 inches = 1033 metre), 6 = ken, 60 = cho, 39 = ri (2·647 miles). Go (11·1 cubic inches), 10 = sho, 10 = to, 10 = koku (5·011 bushels). Momme 57·97 grains, 160 = kin or catty (1·325 ℔), 1000 momme = kuamme (8·281 ℔).
Java.—Ell 2734 inches. Kanne ·3282 gallon; rand, 396 = leaguer of arrack, 13313 gallons; 360 rands = leaguer of wine. Rice-sack, 2 = picul 13558 ℔, 5 = timbang; coyang 3581 ℔.
Malacca.—Covid 1818 inches; buncal 832 grains (gold and silver); kip 41 ℔ (tin); 100 catties = picul, 135 ℔; 3 piculs = bahar; 40 piculs = coyau of salt or rice; 500 gantons = 50 measures = 1 last, nearly 29 cwts.; chupah = 214 ℔; gautang (=ganton?), 9 ℔ of water at 62°.
Malta.—Palmo 10·3 inches, foot 7·2 and 11·17 inches, canna 82·4 inches; 16 tumoli = salma, 4·44 acres. Caffiso (oil) 4·58 gallons; barile (wine) 9·16 gallons; salma (corn) 7·9 bushels. Ounce 407·2 grains; rottolo 1·745 ℔; cantaro 174·5 ℔.
Mexico.—Vara 32·97 inches. Fanega 1·50 bushels. Libra 1·0142 ℔.
Morocco.—Canna 21 inches, commercial rottolo 119 ℔, 100 = quintal; market rottolo 1·785 ℔.
Persia.—Gaz (gueze), 6 handbreadths or 25 inches. Royal gaz 3712 inches. Arash 38·27 inches. Parasang or farsakh 3 geographical miles (an hour's walk for a horse). Sextario (21 cubic inches), 4 = chenica, 2 = capicha (2·4 quarts), 25 = artaba (1·9 bushels). (These, as the native names show, are not native measures. As Chardin remarks, there are no true measures of capacity; even liquids are sold by weight.) Dirhem, 143 (Bussora), 147·8 (Tabriz), or 150 grs. Mescal, 2 = dirhem, 50 = ratl (7300 grains), 6 = man or batman.
Russia.—Vershok (1·75 inches), 16 = archine, 3 = sagene (7 feet British, legally), 500 = verst (·663 mile); 2400 square sagenes = deciatine (2·7 acres). Tcharkey (·216 pint), 100 = vedro, 3 = anker, 40 vedros = sarakovaia (324·6 gallons). Garnietz 2 = tchetverka, 4 = tchetverik, 2 = paiak, 2 = osmin, 2 = tchetvert (5·77 bushels). Dola (·68578 grains); 96 = zolotnic; 8 = laua; 12 = funt (6319·7279 grains); 40 = pud (36·112 ℔); 10 = berkovitz; 3 = packen. Also 3 zolotnices = 1 loth.
Siam.—Nin, 12 = küb (10 inches), 2 = sok, 4 = wa (79·999 inches on silver bar at 85° Fahr.). Thangsat, 10×10×20 nin, actual standard 1159·8477 cubic inches at 85° = 2·08 pecks. Thanan, 5×5×4 nin, standard 57·8800 at 85° = 1·67 pints. Tical or bat (234·04 grains), 4 = tael, 4 = catty or chang, 50 = picul or hap (133·738 ℔).
Turkey.—Pic 26·8 or 27·06 inches; larger pic 27·9. Almud 1·15 gallons (of oil = 8 okas); 4 killows = fortin of 3·7 bushels (killow
