6 S. HOLTH. M.-N. KI. 
steelyard had only two handles. The engraven lines, points, and letters 
of our three scales were nearly everywhere quite distinct but partly filled 
with produce of oxydation and ofsand particles; on that account they were 
badly reproduced in the photos. In order to have all the marks distinctly 
on the negatives, and by this also on the lantern slides and on Pl. I. 
I have under a good light carefully marked everything on the instrument 
itself by a fine bair brush dipped in an emulsion of zincwhite in gum 
water (Pl. I, A, B and C). In the middle of the scale »A« are seen two 
oblique. lines which join in the middle of the right side of a vertical 
division line by which is produced the shape of a »K«, probably the 
Greek letter »Kappa«, which here may signiy »twenty«. Besides the 
seventh division line to the left of this »K« is seen a sign which most 
resembles the Greek letter § and may in this case signify »sixty«. Close 
to the left of this sign a curved and an oblique line join in the right side 
of a vertical division line by which is produced an incomplete » R« which 
I dare not try to interpret; I must say the same about the oblique line, 
farthest to the right on the scale »A«. The scale »B« divided in twelve 
(Roman?) show an »X« and beside it an oblique line; every sixth line 
between two long lines is marked with three dots (halving sign). On the 
scale »C« there is no letter; but near some lines are seen two or three 
dots and in one place six dots. 
Mr. D. Isaachsen, the head of our institute for weights and measures, 
has kindly inspected the steelyard and made some trials with it. If the 
scale» B« divided into twelve is attached to the handle »B« and the smallest 
subdivisions are to represent ounces, he finds that the sliding weight must 
have weighed 466 grammes, and that on this scale there have been weighed 
up to 3.5 kg.; on the »C« scale up to 12.8 kg. »These limits of weight are 
evidently too high, for it could not have been possible to weigh such a great 
weight on the slender little steelyard«. Mr. Isaachsen finds, however, that the 
scale divided into twelve is attached far more naturally to the innermost 
handle »A«, which the weigher has then held in his right hand, having 
the long arm of the steelyard with the scale to his left. If the smallest 
division of the scale is to mark an ounce, the sliding weight will, by this 
arrangement, weigh 776 grammes and the limits of the weight will be 
0.94 kg. to 2.57 kg. He finds also these figures too high!. Mr. Isaachsen 
therefore thinks it best to put off the calculation of the three scales till 
! By adding the hanging apparatus Pl. I, d — and perhaps attached to it a counter- 
weight — on to the short arm, the sliding weight in the long arm will be diminished; 
see next note p. 7. 
