8 Captain Kater's account of the 



From Sir George Shuckburgh's data, and the before- 

 mentioned measurements of the cube, cylinder and sphere, 

 the Commissioners of Weights and Measures determined the 

 weight of a cubic inch of distilled water, weighed in air by 

 brass weights at the temperature of 62° of Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer, the barometer being at so inches, to be equal 

 to two hundred and fifty-two grains, and four hundred and 

 fifty-eight thousandth parts of a grain, of which the Imperial 

 Standard Troy pound contains five thousand seven hundred and 

 sixty ; and also that the avoirdupois pound, which has long 

 been in general use, though not established by any act of the 

 Legislature, is so nearly seven thousand grains, that they 

 recommended that seven thousand of such troy grains be 

 declared to constitute a pound avoirdupois.* 



The Commissioners of Weights and Measures also recom- 

 mended that the gallon measure should in future be that 

 which contains ten pounds avoirdupois of water in ordinary 

 circumstances (that is to say, the temperature of the water 

 being 62° of Fahrenheit's thermometer, and the barometer 

 SO inches) ; and this, under the denomination of " the Impe- 

 rial Standard Gallon," was declared to be the unit and only 

 standard measure of capacity, and that eight such gallons 

 should be a Bushel. 



The Act for " ascertaining and establishing uniformity of 

 " Weights and Measures" having been passed by Parliament, 

 to the effect before-mentioned, the Lx)rds Commissioners of 

 His Majesty's Treasury expressed their hope, that some of 



* For the manner in which the weight of a cubic inch of distilled water was 

 deduced, see the Appendix to the Third Report of the Commissioners of Weights 

 and Measures. 



