196 Weights and Measures [no. 4, new series, 



dent that there is no rule as to the cubic content of the Measures 

 used ; for vessels of very different cubic content may contain the 

 same when heaped, in consequence of having different diameters. 

 It is on this account that the values given to Indian Measures, in 

 such Tables as those of Major Jervis, or Dr. Kelly (in his Cambist) 

 being founded on the guaged cubic contents, do not represent the 

 true quantities. 



In 1852, the Madras Board of Revenue instituted a special 

 enquiry into the Grain Measures of each district. They were 

 found to be of all shapes and materials. Some were in the form 

 of hour glasses ; some were joints of bamboo; and some earthen- 

 ware pots ; but as a general rule, it was found that they were in 

 most districts intended when heaped, to contain a seer weight, or 

 a definite number of seers, either of rice, or of mixed grain, but 

 usually rice : and the " seer" weight was generally that of 80 tolas. 

 Measures in every district were guaged with Water, Rice, and 

 Cooltee or Horse gram, and it was found that (taking 100 cubic 

 inches of water to weigh 140 tolas, which at a temperature of 81° 

 is true to h a grain) Rice on an average, weighed 113 tolas to the 

 100 cubic inches.* From experiments made by myself a few years 

 ago, I found 100 cubic inches, of the 9 mixed grains, to weigh 115 

 tolas. From the Reports of Mr. Shaw, of Ahmedabad, in the 

 Bombay Presidency, in 1849, it appears that he found that a Mea- 

 sure holding 137| tolas of water, held when struck 114f tolas of 

 mixed grain, which gives 1 16J to 100 cubic inches ; and Mr. Reeves, 

 of Poona, found that a vessel containing 80 tolas weight of water, 

 would hold 66| tolas of mixed grain, which also gives 116J tolas 

 to 100 cubic inches. Cooltee, or Horse gram, was found by the 

 Madras experiments to average 116 tolas to 100 cubic inches, but 

 it varied from 113 to 118. From the same experiments, the 

 weights of the heaps (of rice) on various diameters were determin- 



* In the Northern Districts, it averaged 111 Tolas ; in the Town of Madras 114 

 and in the other Districts 112 and 113. The rice used was what is called in Ma- 

 dras, " Putcharisee," or raw rice, to distinguish it from " Poolungul," or that 

 which is scalded before husking. Old rice would weigh something lighter. 



