By Act xi. of 1870, the Government of India established the metric system as the standard for India. But the Secretary of State disallowed the provisions of Act xi. relating to measures of length, and another Act, xxxi. of 1871, was sub stituted. For weights a seer was decreed to be the unit of weight ; and for measures of capacity, a rneasure containing oue such seer of water, at its maximum density, weighed in a, vacuum. The smaller and the larger quantities have not as yet (1884) been formulated ; and the Bombay Government, writing on the 13th July 1878, stated that the standard weights and measures in the divisions of the Presidency and in the town of Bombay vary locally,' and no standard has ever been declared of general application, and having them tested is a matter of custom rather than of law, as the Government of India bas not framed or issued rules under Act xxxi. of 1871.
The following measures of weight, capacity, and length are in use in the south and east of Asia :— 1 Indian imperial seer = avoir. 2'204,621,25 lbs. = 15,432'348,75 grains = 85'735,270,833 tolas. Avoir.
2 lbs. 3 oz. 4'383,04 drs. = 1 French kilogramme. Avoir. 16 drs. = 1 oz. ; 16 oz. = 1 pound (lb.) ; 14 lbs. = 1 et. ; 28 lbs. 1 qr. ; 4 qrs. = 1 cwt. ; 20 cwt. = 1 ton.
1 chittak = 5 tolas ; 16 chittak = 1 seer ; 40 seers 1 maund ; 1 maund = 37'324,195,385,3 imperial seers.
1 maund troy, 1001bs. = avoir. 82i lbs. ; 245 maunds = 9 tons.
1 Indian imperial seer '=" 32'150,726,562,5 troy oz. = apothecaries', 2'679,227,213,541,66 lbs.
10 rutti = 1 masha ; 10 masha = 1 tola ; 1 tola = troy, 180 grains.
1 imperial seer= 3'527,394 Madras seers =3'149,458,927 Bombay seers.
10 imperial seers = 0'881,848,5 Madras maunds = 0'787,364,732 Bombay seer.
Madras weights-10 pagodas 1 pollam ; 8 pollam =-. 1 seer ; 40 seer or 8 vis = 1 manna ; 20 maund = 1 candy.
Bombay weights-9 tanka = 1 nowtuck ; 8 nowtuck -=.1 seer ; 40 seer = 1 maund ; 20 maunds = 1 candy.
Burmese weights-1 tikal = troy, 252 grains = 11 0'016,329,335 Indian imperial seer. 100 tikal = 1 vis = 140 tola = avoir. 3'60 lbs. = 1'632,933,548,1 Indian imperial seer.
1 Indian imperial metre = 30 British inches.
Ceylon.—Native Dry Measure.
. 4 cut chundoos = 1 cut measure or seer.
191 = 1 coornie.
41 cut measure 1 coomie.
coornie = 1 marcal.
2 marcal = 1 parab.
8 parah = 1 ammunam.
9i ammunam = 1 last.
Burnza.—Major Burney, when Resident at Ava, mentioned vis, tikal, and moo as- the general terms used in Burma in the transactions of com merce and accounts. Their subdivisions and
multiples are,— 1 pe or be.
2 = 1 moo.
21 = 1 mat.
5 = 2 = 1 hkwe.
10 = 4 = 2 = 1 kyat or Oral.
1000 = 400 = 200 = 100 = 1 peiktha or vissom. 100 tikal are precisely equal to 140 tolas.
Singapore.—Commercial Weight.
16 tahil 1 catty avoir. 1§ lbs.
100 catty = 1 pikul ; „ 133§ „ 3 pikul = 1 bhara : „ 406 „ 40 pikul = 1 koyan ,.. „ 5333§ „ Straits Settlements.—Mciumres of Capacity.
4 pau = 1 chupah ; 4 chupah = 1 gantang ; 10 gantang .--- 1 parah.
16 gantang = 1 nalih ; 10 nalih ..--- 1 kencha ; 5 kencha = 1 koyan.
SOO gantang .--: 1 koyan ; 20 gantang of rico = 1 bag.
Straits Settlements.—Long 31easure. 4 plempap = 1 jengkal = 9 inches. 2 jengkal = 1 hasta = 18 „ 4 hasta = 1 depa = 72 „ 2 depa = 1 jemba• = 144 „ 20 jemba = 1 orlong ...-; 2880 „ Opium Weight.
10 teo ..-- 1 hoon ; 10 hoon =--- 1 cheo ; 10 chee = 1 tahil.
Thuoc is the generic name for the mea.sure of length in Cochin-China. Those more commonly employed vary from 0.405 to 0.649,68 metres, or from 15.945,255 to 25-578,551,28 English inches.
Siamese.—Long Measure.
1 niw = fi English inch.
12 niw = 1 kup = 9.i English inches.
2 kup = 1 gawk = 19§ English inches. 4 sawk = 1 wah = 78 English inches. 20 wah = 1 sen = 130 feet.
400 sen = 1 yot = 9i statute miles.
Siarnese.—Dry Measure.
1 tanan = 1§ pint ; 20 tanan = 1 tang.
25 tanan ..---- 1 sat ; 100 tang = 80 sat = 1 keean or koyan.
Chinese Weights.
581 grains = 1 mace.
10 mace or 582 grains = 1 liang.
16 liang or 9330§ grains or 1§ lbs. = 1 catty. 1 tael = avoir. 1§ oz.
16 taxis = 1 catty .--- avoir. 2§ lbs.
100 catties = 1 pikul = avoir. 133§ lbs. 1 catty = ;mar. 1§ lbs.
1 pikul = 100 catiies = 133§ Euglish lbs. 1 catty = 16 tad.
1 tael = 1§ English oz.
16'80 pikul = 1 ton.
1 li or cash = avoir.I'0013 oz. ; 10 li = 1 fan or kandarin = avoir. '0133 oz.
10 fan = 1 tsin or inace = avoir. .1333 oz. 10 tsin = / leung or tacl = avoir. 1 oz. 16 loung = 1 kan or catty ;=-. avoir. 1 lb. 100 kan =.. 1 tam or pikul ,-- avoir. 1' 3§ lbs. 120 kan = 1 shek or stone == avoir. 160 lbs.
Chinese Measures.
10 fan = 1 tsun or inch == 1'41 English inch.
10 tsun ,-- 1 chek or foot = 14.1 English inch = 1.175 English feet.
10 chek = 1 ch'eung or fathom = 11 feet 9 inches English.
The treaty of Tien-tsin fixes the ch'eung at 141 English inches; 1 li or mile = i English mile ; 10 li or 1 po or league = about 3 English miles; 1 mau laud measure = 123 of an English acre.