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fouangs; the fouang 4 payes; the paye 2 
clams ; the sompaye half a touang. 
It is to be observed, that these are the 
names of their coins as well as weights ; silver 
and gold being commodities there sold, as 
other things, by their weights. 
In the isle of Java, and particularly at Ban- 
tam, they use the gantan, which amounts to 
near three Dutch pounds. In Golconda, at 
Visapour, and Goa, they have the furatelle 
containing 1 pound 14 ounces English; the 
mangalis or mangelin % weighing diamonds 
and precious stones, weighing at Goa 5 grains, 
at Golconda, &c. 5| grains. They have also 
the rotolo containing 14^ ounces English; 
the metricol containing the sixth part of an 
ounce ; the wall for piasters and ducats, con- 
taining the 73d part of a rial. 
In Persia they use two kinds of batmans or 
mans, the one called cahi or cheray, which is 
the king’s weight; and the other'batman of 
Tauris. The first weighs 13 pounds 10 oz. 
English; the second 64 pounds. Its divi- 
sions are the ratel, or a 16th ; the derhem, 
or drachm, which is the 50th ; the meschal, 
which is half the derhem ; the dung, which 
is the 6th part of the meschal, being equiva- 
lent to six carat-grains ; and, lastly, the grain, 
which is the fourth part of the dung. They 
have also the vakie, which exceeds a little our 
ounce; the sah-cheray, equal to the 1170th 
part of the derhem ; and the toman, used to 
weigh out large payments of money without 
telling ; its weight is that of 50 abassis. 
African and American weights. We have 
little to say as to the weights of America; the 
several European colonies there making use 
of the weights of the states or kingdoms of 
Europe they belong to. For, as to the aroue 
of Peru, which weighs 27 pounds, it is evi- 
dently no other than the Spanish arroba, with 
a little difference in the name. 
As to the weights of Africa, there are few 
places that have any, except Egypt, and the 
countries bordering on the Mediterranean, 
whose weights have been already enumerated 
among those of the ports of the Levant. The 
island of Madagascar indeed has weights, 
but none that exceed the drachm, nor are 
they used for any thing but gold and silver. 
Weights and Me asures. The standard 
of measures was originally kept at Winches- 
ter, which measure was by the law' of ktng 
Edgar, ordained to be observed through the 
• kingdom. 
By. stat. 35 G. III. c. 102, the justices in 
quarter-sessions in every county, are required 
to appoint persons to examine the weights 
and balances within their respective jurisdic- 
tions. These inspectors may seize and exa- 
mine weights in shops, See. and seize false 
weights and balances, and the offender, being- 
convicted before one justice, shall be fined 
from 5s. to 20a. Persons obstructing the in- 
spectors to forfeit from 5s. to 40s. Inspect- 
ors to be recompensed out of the county- 
rate. Standard weights to be purchased by 
the sessions out of the county-rate, and pro- 
duced to all persons paying for the production 
thereof. Informations to be within one month. 
Universal standard for .weights and mea- 
sure*. Philosophers, from their habits of ge- 
ne u'zing, have often made speculations for 
forming a general standard for weights and 
measures through the whole world. These 
have been devised chiefly of a philosophical 
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nature, as best adapted to universality. After 
the invention of pendulum clocks, it first oc- 
curred that the length of a pendulum which 
should vibrate seconds, would be proper to 
be made a universal standard for length; 
whether it should be called a yard, or any 
thing else. But it was found that it would be 
difficult in practice, to measure and deter- 
mine the true length of such a pendulum, 
that is, the distance between the point of sus- 
pension and the point of oscillation. Another 
cause of inaccuracy was afterwards disco- 
vered, when it was found that the seconds 
pendulum was of different lengths in all the 
different latitudes, owing to the spheroidal 
figure of the earth; which causes that all 
places in different latitudes are at different 
distances from the centre, and consequently 
the pendulums are acted upon by different 
forces of gravity, and therefore require to be 
of different lengths. In the latitude of Lon- 
don this is found to be 39 « inches. 
The Society of Arts of London, among their 
many laudable patriotic endeavours, offered 
a handsome premium for the discovery of a 
proper standard for weights and measures. 
This brought them many frivolous expedients, 
as well as one which was an improvement on 
the method of the pendulum, by Mr. Hatton. 
This consisted in measuring the difference of 
the lengths of two pendulums of different 
times of vibration, which eo.uld be performed 
more easily and accurately than that of the 
length of one single pendulum. This method 
was put in practice, and fully explained and 
illustrated, by the late Mr. Whitehurst, in 
his attempt to ascertain an universal standard 
of weights and measures. But still the same 
kind of inaccuracy of measurement, & c. ob- 
tains in this way, as in the single pendulum, 
though in a smaller degree. 
Another method that has been proposed 
for this purpose is the space that a heavy body- 
falls freely through in one second of time. 
But this is an experiment more difficult than 
the former to be made with accuracy, on 
which account different persons will all make 
the space fallen to be of different quantities, 
which would give as many different stand- 
ards of length. Add to this, that the sphe- 
roidal form of the earth here again introduces 
a diversity in the space, owing to the different 
distances from the centre, and the conse- 
quent diversity in the force of gravity by 
which the body falls. This space has been 
found to be 193 inches, or 16^. feet, in the 
latitude of London; but it will be a different 
quantity in other latitudes. 
Many other inferior expedients ' have also 
been proposed for the purpose of universal 
measures and weights ; but ti. is another 
which now has the best prospect of success, 
and is at present under particular experi- 
ments, by the philosophers both of this and 
the French nation. ’ his method is by the 
measure of the degrees of latitude, which 
would give a large quantity, and admit of 
more accurate measure, by subdivision, than 
what could be obtained by beginning from a 
small quantity, or measure, and thence to 
proceed increasing by multiples. This mea- 
sure might be taken either from the extent 
of the whole compass of the earth, or of all 
the 360 degrees, or a medium degree among 
them all, or from the measure of a degree in 
the medium latitude of 45 degrees. It will 
also be most convenient to make the subdi- 
W H E 90 S 
visions of this measure, when found, to pro- 
ceed decimally, or continually by lOths. 
The universal standard for lengths being 
once established, those of weights, tkc. would 
easily follow. For instance: a vessel, of cer- 
tain dimensions, being filled with distilled 
water, or some other homogeneous matter, 
the weight of that may be considered as a 
standard for weights. 
WEINMENNIA, a genus of plants of the 
class and order octandria digynia. The calyx 
is four-leaved; corolla four-petalled ; caps, 
two-celled, two-beaked. There are six spe- 
cies, trees of the southern climates. 
WELDING HEAT, in smithery, a de- 
gree of heat given to iron, .&c. sufficient to 
make any two bars or pieces of iron unite by 
a few strokes of the hammer, and form one 
piece. See Iron. 
WEN. See Surgery. 
WESTRING IA, a genus of plants of th# - 
didynamia gymnospermia class and order. 
The calyx is half rive-cleft, five-sided ; co- 
rolla reversed ; four segments, longest erect ; 
cloven stam . distant, two shorter abortive. 
There is one species, a shrub of New .South 
W 7 ales. 
WHALE. SeeBAmENA/ 
WHEAT. See -Triticum, and Hus- 
bandry. 
Wheat-ear. See Motacilla. 
WHEEL, in mechanics, a simple machine* 
consisting of a round piece of wood, metal, 
or other matter, which revolves on an axis. 
The wheel is one of the principal mechanic • 
powers; it has place in most engines; in 
effect, it is of an assemblage of wheels that ; 
most of our engines are. composed. See - 
Mechanics. 
Wheels, of coaches, carls, waggons, fyc. 
With respect to wheels of carriages, the fol- 
lowing particulars are collected from the ex- 
periments and observations of Desaguliers, 
Beighton,. Camus, Ferguson, Jacob, &c. 
1. The use of wheels in carriages is two- - 
fold, viz. that of diminishing or more easily 
overcoming the resistance or friction from 
the carriage; and that of more easily over- 
coming obstacles in the road. In the first 
case, the friction on the ground is transferred 
in some degree from the outer surface of the 
wheel to its nave and axle ; and in the latter, 
they serve easily to raise the carriage over 
obstacles and asperities met with on the 
roads. In both these cases, the height of the 
wheel is of material consideration, as the 
spokes act as levers, the top of am obstacle 
being the fulcrum, their length enables the 
carriage more easily to surmount them ; and 
the greater proportion of the wheel to the 
axle serves more easily to diminish or to 
overcome the friction ol the axle. 
2. The wheels should be exactly round; 
and the fellies at right angles to the naves, 
according to the inclination of the spokes. 
3. It is the most general opinion, that the 
spokes are somewhat inclined to the naves, so 
that the wheels may be dishing or concave. 
Indeed if the wheels were always to roll upon 
smooth and level ground, it would be best to 
make the spokes perpendicular to the naves, 
or. to the axles ; -because they would then 
bear the weight ot the load perpendicularly. 
But because the ground is commonly uneven, 
.one wheel ■ often falls into a cavity or rut, 
when the other does not, and then it bears 
much more of the weight than the other does; 
