CHAP. VII.] LETTER ON DECIMAL COINAGE. 67 



of 875, or, if copper, have its rim raised to compensate the excess of spe- 

 cific gravity, which is from 8'8 to 8'9. 



The mil might represent the -^ of the T ^ of a pound avoirdupois, 

 and be 5 inch diameter. 



The mite should weigh 10 grains, the half-mite 6 grains, and the 

 quarter-mite 1 grain, which would be useful weights for chemists and 

 other dealers in small quantities of matter, and thus coins would be 

 brought into relation with apothecaries' and troy weights. 



As this letter is merely suggestive, I do not think it necessary to enter 

 minutely into all the practical results which would be attained by the 

 above system. It is manifest, however, that it would give a basis of a 

 decimal division of value, weight, length, and bulk, and at the same time 

 afford a material relation between the decimal division and the other 

 modes of division now in use. 



If the principle be adopted, the nomenclature would have to be care- 

 fully reconsidered ; and it appears to me, whether we consider value, 

 breadth, surface, weight, or capacity, from five to ten of the decimal 

 divisions should have definite words assigned to them. At first we should 

 have both systems in operation at once, but by degrees, hereafter, all 

 divisions not found to be practically convenient might be gradually 

 withdrawn. I remain, Sir, 



Tour obedient servant, 

 BANK OF ENGLAND, ALFRED SMEE. 



June 28th, 1856. 



A very interesting lecture was delivered by Mr. Smee on the 

 18th of February, 1857, at the London Institution, on the Mono- 

 genesis of Physical Forces. This lecture is a connecting link 

 between ' Electro-Metallurgy,' 'Sources of Physics,' 'Electro- 

 Biology,' and later ( The Mind of Man.' The lecture itself will 

 be found in the Appendix, No. XXIII. 



In the autumn of this year my brother fell ill, and an entire 

 change of air and scene was considered necessary for him. We 

 were taken to Paris. It was our first visit to the Continent. 

 During our stay there my father had the greatest possible delight 

 in taking my brother and myself to see all the sights of Paris : 

 he never wearied. One of our favourite amusements used to be 

 to go into the Tuileries Gardens and take part of our breakfast 

 roll and feed the wild pigeons who used to eat out of our hands, 

 and the sparrows who used to hover about in the air before us 

 and catch the morsels of bread we threw up to them. 



The following spring there was a total eclipse of the sun. 

 The astronomical savants flocked, on the 17th of March, 1858, 

 to Blisworth in Buckinghamshire, that being considered the bestv 

 spot to observe the phenomenon. We that is to say, my father 

 and mother, my brother and myself also betook ourselves 



F 2 



