ON'' THE MEaiDUN, 117" 



are mad% u'ould, at the temperature of 62^ he reduced to 39,37^1- 

 Pmclijh- inches v/hich differs from the above, ovAj >^^^2 inches, a 

 quaatiiy altogether infenfible. 1 he mstre, as it is termed by the 

 f I each, is the unit of tr.eafurej and is adopted as fuch by mofc of the 

 natrons on the coninent. The Engl'fn, as a great commercial peop'e, 

 have never yet been able to fix upoh a flandard, though they h:jve 

 for a-^es experienced the want' oc it, and their aver fion" to receiving" 

 any thin,; thxt is foreign, as a guide, has left them at' this' day without 

 any ftandard in nature to which' they can r^fer. There cannot in -ix-.j- 

 opinion, be any thing more fimplb, than to take fome fr-ait^onai 

 part of a quadrant of the earth's meridian, whofe length has Been 

 fo onquedionabiy fettled ; and a fixed (landard meaTure, call It what 

 they pleafe, could' always h". r^^f^rred to the brafs ftandard fcale ; and 

 if, at the tenaperature of 6a°, the mearureoF 39,371 inches be taken 

 off, we know ihit to be exactly the ten millionth part of a quadrant 

 of the meridian, v/hich mull be forever invariable.' 



The unit of meafore being once determitied upon, it's multiples 

 and fub-muUiples may be arranged according to any fyftem bell adapted 

 to the habitual mode of counting. The French Philofophers have chofen 

 the ^(?c/m^/Iy(lem altog then The multiples, which are named from the 

 Greek numerals, are the deci-mtlre, equal to ten metres ; the hedlo-metre^ 

 equal to ten decametres ; the k'lo metre, equal to ien hedometres, &c. 

 The fub multiples are from ih^ Latin numerals, where the deci-mdre is 

 equal -rV of the metre; the centi-mstre x^wiA -,'^ ih^ decimetre, and. 

 ihe Viiili melre equal V^ the centimetre, &G 



Foa the unit of xneafure for cj.vaci/y, the decimetre is cubed, and 



H h. 



