NO. 43. — 1892.] WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 179 



The cut-measure was legalised by Regulation No. 3 of 1816. 

 It declared that the legal contents of the measures in all 

 transactions should be those remaining in the measure level 

 with the rim or edge after the same had been struck or cut 

 by a straight rod or strike mounted with iron, resting upon 

 the edges, and that in no case was it lawful to demand that 

 any such measure be heaped or added to. Measures were 

 sold at the kachcheries at specified rates, and each was 

 accompanied with a strike mounted with iron to prevent all 

 disputes about the cutting. 



In order that the relative proportions of the said measures to 

 each other and to the measures of greater dimensions might 

 be generally understood, the following table was laid down : — 



24 cut seers = 1 cut parrah 



8 cut parrah = 1 amunam 



9f amunams = 1 last 



2§ last = 1 garce 



The following table is adopted at the present day : — ■ 



Cut chundus Cut measure 



4 



= 1 



Kuruni 







161 



= 4* 



= 1 



Marsal 





48 



= 12 



- 2* = 



1 



Parrah 



96 



= 24 





2 



= 1 Amunam 



768 



= 192 





16 



= 8=1 Last 



7,200 



= 1,800 



= 375 = 



150 



= 75 = 9| = 1 



The English bushel is equal to 34 seers, or one parrah and 

 10 seers. 



IV.— Measures of Surface. 



The extent of land is defined by the quantity of seed 

 required to sow it. But different lands and localities possess 

 different degrees of fertility, and consequently the terms used 

 must necessarily be of varying size and extent. In fertile 

 lands the seed is not sown half so thickly as in poor soil, 

 so that the terms used to denote measurement of surface are 

 based upon a most anomalous principle. However, they have 

 been used from time out of memory, and continue to be 

 employed, having for their authority at least the sanction of 

 antiquity. 



