158 Ürostésiols o Mücalidneous: 
Our radix being thus established we must next establish our unit of 
length on which all the others depend. The earth is our best natural 
measure, and our standard sea-mile should represent a definite angle 
measured on its surface, as our present sea-mile or knot does. All commer- 
cial nations, including the French, have been driven to adopt this measure 
for the purposes of navigation, although in no ease does it correspond with 
&ny measure used on the land. The increasing importance of commerce 
makes it very desirable that the land-mile and the sea-mile should be the 
same. This brings us to angular measurement as the foundation of the 
whole system. 
The French saw the absurdity of dividing the circle into ten equal parts, 
so they divided it into four right angles, and then divided each right angle 
into ten parts. On this division of the earth's circumference they founded 
their measures of length. Unfortunately the circle is not to be influenced 
by Aets of Parliament or of Senate. It is by its very nature divided not 
only into four right angles but also into six sections of equal importance to 
the right angle, and any system of angular measure which ignores this fact 
must break down. The French system ignored it so completely that the 
important angle of 60? cannot even be expressed in figures. It consequently 
broke down completely ; it never had the least chance of coming into use 
and is now seldom heard of. 
It is essential that the division of the circle shall be such that the right 
angle, and the are of which the chord is equal to radius, shall both be 
expressed by convenient numbers. If the are of 60° be divided into 16 
equal parts, 24 of such parts would represent the right angle, and this 
would, with the radix of 16, be the best division possible. On this system 
the earth's circumference would be divided into 6 equal parts, which we may 
call radius ares; each of these would be divided into 16 points, each point 
into 16 degrees, and each degree into 16 sea-miles. The circle would be 
divided in the same manner, and the sea-mile would represent a measure of 
latitude corresponding to a second of the present measures. The new sea- 
mile would be a little longer than the present statute mile, and somewhat 
shorter than the present sea-mile or knot; it would be 5,350 feet long, 
while the statute mile contains 5,280 feet. Of course the mile would be 
further sub-divided, always into sixteens, which would give us the ell equal 
to about 16 inches ; and the inch, which would differ only about 2 per cent. 
from the inch as we now have it. 
Measures of weight follow from those of length. A cubic ell of water 
would weigh 187lbs., and would be the standard. Larger or smaller 
measures would be obtained by multiplying or dividing by 16, as might be 
required. 
