The Polynesian., 1841-12-11

ell; 2J-lOO or / OuShel; l2J-lOOO or
bushel lO-lOO bushcl or gallon; 5O-lOO
or J gallon; 25-lOO or / gallon; lO-lOO
gallon; 5-lOO gallon 4-lOO gallon
3-lOO gallon; 2-loO gallon and LOO
gallon. LOO of gallon is equal to |
o! n gill nearly and in purchasing a half
point of oil it would be as easy to ask for
6 cents of gallon, as it is to ask for half
u pint.
5. MEASURES OF FORCE or Gravity
OR WEIGHr.-Properly speaking, there
should be no other scale of weight than
avoirdupois ; and there seems to be no
reason for more, except ancient usage,
which originated when particular branch
es of commerce were in their infancy.
But when we consider that both the old
and new coinage of Great Britain and this
country, have been uniformly estimated
by Troy weight, as well as all medical
prescriptions or formula, under a pecul-
lar subdivision, and that these weights are
required to be used only by very limited
number Of persons, we shall be very
strongly disposed to preserve them.
The unity or integral base of CONNER
cial or avoirdupois weight, might be de-
nominated pound, and be equal in
weight to two pounds of our present
weight. 1t could then be divided into
tenths, hundredths, thousandths, &C.,
which might also be expressive Of any
other fractional parts of a pound that
might occur. Then one hundred weight
would be equal to 100 lbs, and one ton
would be equal to 1000 lbs, or 5000 lbs.
of our present weight. The terms quar-
tiers, stone, ounces, drains, &C., could then
be very conveniently dispensed with.
The old system could, at once, be con-
verted into the new, as the pound of the
former would be just half that Of the lat
ter and the other divisions could readily
be reduced to the decimal notation.
Under this improved system, the weights
that would be requisite for the common
purposes of weighing, would consist of
rs lbs; 20 lbs; 10 lbs; lbs; lbs :;
3 lbs 2 lbs; l h.; 5O-lOO or h.; 40
100 h.; 3O-lOO h.; 25-lOO or ! h.; 90
100 h.; lO-lOO TO-; 9-lOO h.; S-lOO h.;
7-lOO h.; 6-lOO h.. 5-lOO h.; 4-lOO h.;
3-lO0 h.; 2-lOO h.; and LOO 10. The
ten latter weights could very conveniently
be substituted by our cents, if they were
coined of the weight of LOO Of a pound
cach.* LOO of a pound would be equal
to of an ounce of our present wei ght
nearly; and, in making small purchases,
it would be to call for an ounce.
We now make some remarks upon
subject which grows out of the preceding,
thong h not intimately connected with it,
namely, determining the strength of dis
titled spirits. 1t is matter of surprise
that the governments of Great Britain and
the United States, have never devised
more equitable and Ineligible mode Of
testing the degrees of strength of spiritu-
Gus liquors, than the modes in present
use. 1t would be the means of adding
immense sums to their revenues, and
would enable those engaged in this branch
of commerce, to regulate their prices in
proportion to the values Of the articles in
which they traffic. There is no reason,
either practical or philosophical, why al
cohol, when employed as the base for the
standard of spirituous liquors, should not
be absolute, or totally deprived of water.
A definite mixture Of alcohol and water