THE YARD, PENDULUM, AND METRE. 449 



way of converting cubic measure into weight. But were 

 we to adopt the geometrical instead of the present imperial 

 standard the linear foot being increased by one thou- 

 sandth, the cubic foot would be increased by three times 

 that aliquot, or would become 1-003 times our present 

 cubic foot and so would make up just the deficient 

 three ounces, or at least so very nearly that a legislative 

 change in the ounce, increasing it by only one part in 

 8000, or by one i8th part of a grain, would bring every- 

 thing into decimal coincidence, by making the ounce and 

 the cubic foot the links of connexion between weights 

 and measures instead of the grain and the cubic inch, as 

 at present. As regards our measures of capacity, the con- 

 nexion would be equally consecutive, as a decimal one, 

 between the cubic foot and the half pint, which for the 

 purpose in view, ought to have a distinct name (such as 

 a " tumbler" or a " rummer" or a " beaker"} and which 

 would contain exactly one looth part of a cubic foot, 

 with whatever liquid or solid matter it might be filled. 

 And thus the change which would place our system of 

 linear measure on a perfectly faultless basis, would at the 

 same time rescue our weights and measures of capacity 

 from their present utter confusion, and secure that other 

 advantage, second only in importance to the former, of 

 connecting them decimally with that system on a regular, 

 intelligible and easily-remembered principle ; and //w/by 

 an alteration practically imperceptible in both cases, and 

 interfering with no one of our usages or denominations. 



(32.) On the subject of decimalization, it will be ga- 

 thered from what I have said that I would make any de- 



2 F 



