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Hcau foot in French ineasnre, as before, 11.^1 
inches:. 
If it was certain, that we had triie avoirdupois 
weights in America, we might find the length of 
the English foot by means of such weights and of 
pure raisi water, supposing a cubic foot of such 
water to weigh precisely 1000 ounces., thus : 
Let a cubic Vessel of capacity be constructedj 
of any dirnensions at pleasure, the longer the bet» 
ter, for instance, let its sides be, at giiess some¬ 
where between a foot and a yard, let its inside 
be either lined with metal or varnished, to pre¬ 
vent its absorbing water ; placing such a vessel 
perfectly horizontal, then correctly weigh any quan¬ 
tity of water, and pour it in the vessel, having done 
this, mark the depth of the water on a plain brass 
ruler, and divide the depth on the ruler into 1000 
equal parts, and then the length of the foot may ba 
found by the following analogy i 
As the weight of water, in Avoirdupois ounces, 
to the weight of water, in an English cubic foot, so 
is the cube of the parts, into which the ruler is 
divided, to the cube of the parts which will be 
equal in length to an English foot. 
E!)^ample. 
Suppose the water contained in the vessel to 
weigh 15625 avoirdupois ounces ; then, as 15625 
