Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 667

650

The Chinese Long Measure.

DEC.

standard measure, which could easily be compared with our own, and the proportion ascertained; but unhappily we cannot get access to any office in this vicinity. It may not be without use, however, to request of the individuals engaged in the present expedition, to procure a Chinese cheik (R) measure, should it be in their power; which I should think might be done at Amoy, Ningpo, or Chusan. The information contained in the subsequent part of this paper, will suggest the queries necessary to be asked from the officer from whom such a measure may be obtained. I would mention, however, espe- cially the following questions as claiming peculiar attention.

1

As there are four different cheih used, inquire the use to which any that may be obtained are applied; or in other words, whether it may be that of the Mathematical Tribunal, or the land-surveyor's, &c. What cheih is used in measuring the le-the mathematical or the land-surveyor's? And next, which of these two may be used in measuring the mow (H) or Chinese acre.

The difficulty of coming to any conclusion on this subject at pre- sent, arises from the various lengths which are assigned by different writers to the cheih and to the le. In many Chinese works we have the following table of

10

LONG MEASURE.

tsun make a R cheik. 5尺cheih make a步 poo.

360 ✈ poo make a le.

Could any one of these be ascertained, the others could of course be easily calculated; but the statements, as I have said, differ mate- rially, and we are at a loss on which to rely. With respect to the number of le, of the present standard, that make a degree of the me- ridian, we have met with three statements. The Chinese Repository, vol. II, page 446, and Mr. Morrison in his Chinese Calendar, say that the Jesuits divided the degree into 250 le. Milburne says, in his Ori- ental Commerce, vol. II, page 472, that they divided the degree into 200 le. ́ ́ Mr. Gutzlaff says, in a Chinese work, that the degree is 180 le. Besides these, I have met with a statement of P. Prémare in a note to his “Researches on the times anterior to those spoken of in the Shoo King," in which he says "that ten le make very nearly one of our (French) leagues." This, however, I think was said of the le used by the Chinese previons to the alteration introduced by the Jesuits. That le was the 192.5 part of a degree, and equal to 1892 feet, which is a little more than ;', of a French marine league. The