Directory_and_Chronicle_1869 — Page 14

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CHINESE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

purpose merchants generally carry scales, called dotchin, made somewhat after the plan of the English steelyards.

The tael used to be reckoned at 6s. 8d. sterling in the books of the East India Company; but its value varies, and is generally computed according to the price paid per ounce for Spanish dollars in London. The tables given for this proportional value inay be calculated in pence sterling, by the multiplier 1,208. Thus, if the price of the Spanish dollars be 60d. per ounce, the value of the tael will be 60 X 1,208 — 72·48d.; if at 66d., the value of the tael will be 79-728d.; and for any other price in the same proportion.

FINENESS OF GOLD AND SILVER.-The fineness of gold and silver is expressed by dividing the weight into 100 parts, called toques, or touch; similar to the modern practice of France. Thus, if an ingot be 93 touch, it is understood to contain 7 parts of alloy and 93 of pure metal, making in the whole 100,

The fineness of the precious metals, expressed in these decimal proportions, may be converted into English proportions by the following analogies :-Suppose gold is 99.66 touch, say, as 100: 9166: 12: 11, the standard, and vice versa; and to convert standard silver into touch, say, as 240: 222 :: 100: 92-5, the touch of sterling silver. Pure gold or silver without alloy is called by the Chinese sycce; and sometimes when of less purity the metal is accepted as sycee.

SILVER INGOTS are used as money, and weigh from half a tael to 100 taels, their value being determined by their weight. These ingots are of the best sort of silver; that is, about 94 touch.

GOLD INGOTS.-Gold is not considered as money, but as merchandise; it is sold in regular ingots of a determined weight, which the English call shoes of gold; the largest of these weigh 10 taels each; and the gold is reckoned 94 touch, though it may be only 92 or 93.

To bring ounces into taels, divide the ounces by 1,208.

WEIGHTS.-Gold and silver are weighed by catty of 16 taels; the tael is divided into 10 mace, 100 candarines, or 1,000 cash. 100 taels are reckoned to weigh 120 oz. 16 dwts. Troy, which makes the tael equal to 579-8 English grains, or 37-566 grammes.

The principal weights for merchandise are the picul, the catty, and the tael; the picul being divided into 100 catties, or 1,600 taels.

1 Tael weighs, avoirdupois...

16 Taels, or 1 catty..

100 Catties, or 1 picul.

lbs. 02 dwts.

0

1

5-333

1 oz.

1

5

5.333

1 lb.

133 5 5.333 133 lbs.

Hence the picul weighs 60·472 kilogrammes, or 162 lbs. O oz. 8 dwts. 13

grs. Trov. The above weights are sometimes otherwise denominated, especially by the natives; thus, the catty is called gin; the tael, lyang; the mace, tehen; the candarine, fivan; and the cash, lis.

There are no commercial measures in China, as all dry goods and liquids are sold by weight. In delivering a cargo English weights are used, and afterwards turned into Chinese piculs and catties.

LONG MEASURE.-That used iu China is the covid or cobre; it is divided into 10 punts, and is equal to 0:3713 metres, or 14:625 English inches.

The Chinese have four different measures auswering to the foot, viz.:-

Metres.

Eng, inches.

The foot of the mathematical tribunal 0.333 The builders' foot, called congou... The tailors' and tradesmen's foot. The foot used by engineers..

13-125

--

0.3228 12.7 0:3383

13:33 03211 12.65

The li contains 180 fathoms, each 10 feet of the last mentioned length; therefore the li 1-897 English feet; 192 is measure a mean degree of the meridian nearly; but European missionaries in China have divided the degree into 200 lis, each li making 1,826 English feet; which gives the degree 69-166 English miles, or 11-131 French myriametres.