78 tClZVTtTlC NEWS. 



wifh to fugged to your confideration, that a rcduaion of them 

 to Englifh terms, would be to you comparatively a fmall la- 

 bour, in proportion to what it would be to the generality of 

 your readers individually. 



Your labours tend to the ufeful purpofe of communicating 

 fcience and general knowledge to the public of this country. 

 To facilitate the acquirement of fuch knowledge, it fhould 

 be communicated in the terms moft eafily intelligible to the* 

 people ; not in fuch terms as require algebra, or a procefs in 

 the Rule of Three, to give a precife idea of every meafure- 

 ment. As your Journal becomes more extenfively circulated, 

 there arifes a ftronger claim upon you from the public, in 

 favour of the many who are too indolent, too bufy, or too 

 ignorant to expound for themfelves this fpecies of hierogly- 

 phics. 



I am. Sir, 



Your conftant Reader. 



ANSWER. 



The rule propofed to be followed in all our tranflations, 

 though perhaps not precifely, and on every occafion, adhered 

 to, is, that wherever the foreign denominations of weight or 

 meafure are mere indications of the proportional quantities, 

 (and may be confidered as pounds, ounces, or grains, or as 

 yards, i'eet, or inches all through,) the original names are 

 ufed without embarraiing the fubjefl with any redudlion into 

 fra6lional quantities : In every other cafe the reduction is, or 

 ought to be made. 



While I exprefs my acknowledgments to this reader for 

 his advice and remarks, I beg leave to fay, that I heartily 

 fubfcribe to his opinions as to facilitating the communication 

 of knowledge, by the iimpleft: methods. It is my vvilh in the 

 fide notes, and by every o^her means, to (horten the time, 

 and affift the inquiries, of thofe whofe other duties forbid the 

 indulgence of deep or continued refearches. 



W.N. 



ACCOUNT 



