Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 666

1841.

The Chinese Long Measure.

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649

carried to the bank of the river Keäng, which about these parts falls into this empire, they saw it into boards, and with little expense carry it into most parts of the provinces, where they make a very great profit by the sale of it. The breadth of these trains of timber is about ten feet, and the length either longer or shorter, according to the merchant's stock, but the longest are sometimes about half a league. They rise above the water four or five feet, and are made after this manner. The people take as much wood as is re- quisite for the height or thickness of four or five feet, and breadth of ten. Then they make holes at the ends of the pieces of wood, through which they put wreaths of reeds or twisted osiers, to which they fasten other pieces of wood, suffering the float to fall down with the stream, till the whole train be as long as they desire. All the parts of the float being thus contrived, move and yield to the water as necessity requires, as pliably as the links of a chain. Only upon the fore-part of the float they set four of five men with oars or poles to guide the float, and make it swim where they please. Upon these floats at such and such distances, they build little wooden cottages, which they sell whole, as they are, at the several places where they stop during their journey. Here the merchants sleep and shelter themselves, as in their houses, dress their meat and eat it, and put their furniture and uten- sils therein. The same merchants also bring from the mountains and fo- rests, where they cut their wood, several sorts of medical herbs, parrots, mon- keys, and other things, which they sell in the cities and other places through which they pass, to other merchants that vend them over all the provinces of the empire. Great quantities of this wood are brought to Peking, though it be distant above seven hundred Portuguese leagues from the mountains where the wood is cut down. And thus a man may easily judge by what I say, that there is no kingdom in the world that can compare with China, for the benefit of going and trading by water." pages 131-133.

ART. II. Inquiries and calculations respecting the Chinese Long

Measure. By

THE statements that have been published with respect to the length of the Chinese le (), and indeed of all their measures of length, differ so much from one another, that we are at a loss whenever called upon to make any calculations in which it is necessary to use their table of long measure! The writer cannot flatter himself that he shall throw much light upon the subject, but hopes to be able to enț gage for it, from Chinese students, the attention it deserves. The matter might be set at rest, by procuring from a Chinese office the

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