APP. M° VII.] EXPERIMENTS ON WHALE-OIL. 525 



balls, to be displayed always on the same side, might be of 

 the same colour. By this arrangement, the number of signals 

 with three balls would be reduced to twenty-nine ; but this 

 would be sufficient for every purpose in the fishery. 



Thus much refers to signals for clear weather ; in a fog, 

 however, other signals are requisite. These, from the nature 

 of the circumstances, can only be conveyed by means of 

 sounds, and are, therefore, extremely confined as to their ex- 

 plicitness, as well as their variety. They can be used only 

 for directing the boats towards each other, or towards the 

 ship. They consist of various sounds, such as shouting, a 

 number of men at the same time, the ship's bell, horns, drums, 

 muskets, or cannon. By means of a bugle, indeed, some- 

 thing more can be done than is usually practised ; but as it 

 would be a matter of difficulty to instruct the sailors in the 

 meaning of the various notes, and combination of notes, of the 

 bugle, and at the same time would require a considerable 

 command of the instrument on the part of the person sound- 

 ing it, it is not likely that tlais instrument will ever be brought 

 into o-eneral use. 



No. VII. 



ACCOUNT OF SOME EXPERIMENTS FOR DETEimiNTNG THE 

 RELATIONS BETWEEN WEIGHT AND MEASURE, IN CER- 

 TAIN QUANTITIES OF WHALE-OIL. 



Gauging is a process, which, though founded on correct 

 principles, is of doubtful result, owing to the uncertain thick- 

 ness of the staves of casks, and the irregular form of their in- 

 terior. The thickness of the staves can only be estimated by 

 the appearance of the ends of the cask, and of the bung 

 stave ; the latter, which is the principal guide of the ganger, 

 if made half an inch thinner than the rest of the staves, 

 would produce in a ton cask an error, in favour of the seller, 

 of about 14 gallons. Besides, where no such fraudulent con- 



