MEXICAN COINS, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



APPENDIX NO. 2. 



347 



MEXICAN COINS. 



1 onza — gold, = 16 dollars. 

 1 peso — silver, = 1 dollar. 

 1 real — silver, = 12| cents. 

 1 medio real — silver, = 6i cents. 

 1 quartillo — copper, == 3§ cents. 

 1 tlaco — copper, = lj\ cents. 



MEASURES. 



1 foot = 0.928 feet English. 



1 vara (three feet Mexican) == 2.784 feet English = 2 feet 9.3141 inches English, 

 1 legua (26.63 to 1 meridian) = 5000 varas = 2.636 miles English. 



WEIGHTS. 



1 onza— (8 ochavos) = 1 ounce. 



1 marco — (8 onzas) = | pound. 



1 libra — (2 marcos) = 1 pound. 



1 arroba — (25 libras) = 25 pounds. 



1 quintal — (4 arrobas) = 100 pounds. 



1 carga — (3 quintals) — 300 pounds. 



1 fanega — (140 pounds) = 2 bushels nearly. 



] almuer — (almuerza) = A of a fanega. 



1 fiasco = 5 pints nearly. 1 



TABLE OF LAND MEASURES ADOPTED IN THE MEXICAN REPUBLIC. 



N^mes nfMPimiM Figures of Length of the Breadth in Areas in sq. Areas in Ca- 



J\ames oi Measures, measures. fig. in varas. varas. varas. bellerias. 



Sitio de ganado mayor, Square 5,000 5,000 25,000,000 41.023 



Criadero de ganado mayor, Square 2,500 2,500 6,250,000 10.255 



Sitio de ganado menor, Square 3,333^ 3,333^ 11,111, lll| 18.232 



Criadero de ganado menor, Square 1,666§ 1,666| 2,777,777$ 4.558 



Caballeria de tierra j paSlelofram \ hlM 552 609 ' 4Q8 1 



Media cabelleria, Square 552 552 304,704 | 



Cuarto caballeria or su- ) Right angled) 07« i r 0 Q r 0 , 



erte de tierra, ] parallelogram J ^ Zib 5 

 Fanega de sembradura ) Right angled ) q7fi 1Q . ^ 7Q , , 



demaiz, 5 parallelogram $ d/b 184 bb>m A 



Solar para casa, Square 50 50 2,500 0.004 



Fundo legal para pueblos, Square 1,200 1,200 1,440,000 2.036 



The Mexican Vara is the unit of all measure of length, the pattern and size of 

 which are taken from the Castilian Vara of the Mark of Burgos, which is the legal vara 

 used in the Republic. Fifty Mexican varas make a measure called Cordel, used in 

 measuring lands. 



The legal league contains 900 cordels, or 5000 varas. The league is divided into 

 halves and quarters — this being the only division made of it. Anciently the Mexi- 

 can league was divided into three miles, the mile into a thousand paces of Solomon, 

 and one of these paces into five-thirds of a Mexican vara — consequently the league 

 had 3000 paces of Solomon. This division is recognized in legal affairs, though it 

 has been long in disuse. The mark was equivalent to two varas and seven-eighths, 

 that is, 8 marks contained 22 varas, and was used in land measure. 



See Appendix No. 9 to Captain Halleck's Report on Californian affairs, — pages 

 119 and 145 of Executive Document No. ]7, 31st Congress, 1st Session. 



i See Dr. Wislizenius's Memoir, &c., &c. p. 141. 



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