French Weights and Meafures'. 247 



not fo much an inftrument of meafurement as a mode of 

 valuation. 



The myrialitre is fuperfluous *. 



WEIGHTS. 



The miliar -amine would weigh a little lefs than -gV of a 

 grain, confequently would give much more exa&nefs than 

 the 32ds which have been ufed hitherto ; but as this meafure 

 is employed only in very nice operations, which do not occur 

 in the c xnmon ufages of commerce, weights may be con- 

 fined to the following : 



Centigramme. The hundredth part of a gramme, or 

 about i. of a grain. 



Decigramme weighs a little lefs than two grains. The 

 demi-dec ; grarnme is almoft equal then to the common grain. 

 Gramme. Equivalent to the weight of a cubic centi- 

 metre of water, which makes about nineteen grains. Very- 

 analogous to the gmmma of the Greeks, from which it takes 

 its name. It is exceedingly proper to ferve as unity in 

 weighing valuable articles, fuch as gold and Giver, and all 

 thofe which require a great deal of accuracy. 



Decagramme. The weight of ten grammes. Its half 

 makes about a grot (a dram) and a third. Its double is a 

 little lefs than two thirds of an ounce. 



Heclogramme . The weight of a hundred grammes. 

 Kilogramme. The weight of a thoufand grammes, very 

 convenient to be ufed in the fale of the moft common articles. 

 Its half exceeds cur ufual pound by about three gres. 



Myriagramme. The weight of ten thoufand grammes, a 

 little lefs than 20^ pounds. Its double will form the largeft 



* If the feries of decimal litres increafed by the doubles and halves of 

 each be compared with the ancient meafures, it will be feen that, fYom the 

 centilitre to the decalitre, they agree perfectly for liquids, and from the 

 demil'itrt to the bcclolitrc, for the various dry articles. 



K 4 weight 



