365 days each, and every fourth year, of 366 days; which made the average length of each civil year 365 days, or 365 days, 6 hours. Each year of 366 days, was denominated Bissextile or Leap year, and the other years were called common years. This method of computing time is still in use; but as the true length of a year is 11 minutes and 12 seconds less than 365 days, when the new style, or method of reckoning time, was adopted in England, in the year 1752, it was determined that three leap years in every four succeeding centuries should be reduced to common years; which will very nearly balance the error in the former mode of reckoning.

Note 2.-By the calendar the year is divided into 12 months, as follows :

28.

In leap years, February has 29 days; in other years only

The number of days in each month may be known by committing to memory the following lines:

The ninth, fourth, eleventh, and sixth,
Have thirty days to each affix'd,
And every other thirty-one,
Except the second month alone,
Which has but twenty-eight, in fine,
Till leap year gives it twenty-nine.

Or the following:

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,

Except February alone,

Which hath four and twenty-four,

And every fourth year one day more.

Note 3.-To know whether any given year is leap year, or not; divide the year of our Lord by 4, and if the division terminates without a remainder, it is leap year; otherwise it is a common year. But, when the number of years has two or more ciphers at the right hand, then you must reject two ciphers at the right hand, before you divide by 4. 15. Circular Measure, or Motion.

60 Seconds, (") make 1 Minute,

60 Minutes,

30 Degrees,

1 Degree,

1 Sign,

12 Signs, or 360 degrees,= {

min., or

deg. or

S.

The whole great circle of
the Zodiac.

Note 1.-This table is used by Astronomers, Navigators, &c.

Note 2.-The circumference of every circle is supposed to be divided into 360 equal parts, called degrees; each degree into 60 equal parts, called minutes; each minute into 60 seconds, and each second into 60 thirds, &c.

The smaller books are called 18's, 24's, 32's, &c. according to the number of leaves in a sheet.

19. Of the Moneys of various foreign countries.
Of France.

Accounts were formerly kept in France in Livres, Sols or Sous, and Deniers.

12 Deniers, or pence, 1 Sol, or shilling.

20 Sols, or shillings, 1 Livre, or pound.

Note 1.-A livre is equal to 18 cents, or $.185. The present money of account in France is Francs, and Centimes or hundredths.

10 Centimes=

100 Centimes, or 10 decimes,=

80 Francs=

1 Decime.

1 Franc. 81 Livres.

Note 2.-In the United-States, the franc is usually estimated at 183 cents, or $.1875, and the five franc pieces at 93 cents.

Of the Netherlands.

Accounts are kept here in Guilders, Stivers, Grotes, and Phennings.

8 Phennings, make

2 Grotes,

1 Grote.

1 Stiver.

1 Guilder, or Florin.

Accounts are kept in Spain in Piastres, Rials, and Marvadies.

34 Marvadies, make

8 Rials,

1' Rial.

1 Piastre, or piece of eight.

Note. There are two kinds of money in Spain; viz. money of vellon, or current money, and money of plate, or hard money. Plate money is more valuable than vellon, in the ratio of 32 to 17. Thus, 17 rials of plate are equivalent to 32 rials vellon; and so of the other denominations of money. In the United-States 1 rial of plate=10 cents,

and 1 rial vellon-5 cents.

of Portugal.

In Portugal accounts are kept in Reas and Milreas, 1000

GOLD COINS.

reas being equal to one milrea.-In the United-States, a milrea is valued at $1.24.

English gold and silver Coins, with their full weight, and

A Sovereign,
A Guinea,

i.. 0.. 0

4 .. 44/

pwt. gr. 5.. 34

5 ..

Half-Guinea,
Quarter do.,

Seven Shillings,
SILVER COINS.
A Crown,*
Half-Crown,
Shilling,

91

2.. 16

1 .. 16/3/

1.. 81

1 555

1 .. 19

1

11

19. 8

555 9 16

Sixpence,

1 0

6

223

111 1

3 21 221

* The crown passes in the U. S. at 1 dollar and 10 cents, and the half-crown at 55 cents.

Gold Coins of other foreign countries.

Mark Banco of Hamburgh, 33 | Tale of China,

148

Note 1.-The values of some of the foreign coins often vary, according to the rate of exchange.

Note 2.-The Act of Congress of April 29, 1816, regulating the currency within the United-States of the gold coins of Great-Britain, France, &c. enacted,

That, of the gold coins of Great-Britain and Portugal, 27_grains=$1, or 1 pwt. 883 cents;

Of France, 271⁄2 do.
Of Spain, 28 do.

do. -87 do.

do. =84 do.

Crowns of France, weighing 449 grains,=110 cents, or 1 oz. 117 cents.

Five franc pieces, weighing 386 grains,-93.3 cents, or 1 oz. 116 cents.

The Spanish dollar, weighing not less than 415 grains,= 1 Federal dollar.

Note 3.-The standard price of gold in England, is 31. 17s. 10 d. an ounce, and of silver 5s. 2d. an oz. The standard coin of France is to contain one-tenth of alloy, and the standard value of gold to silver is 15 to 1.

20. Weights and Measures of several foreign cities and nations, compared with the American Weights and Measures.

lb. American lb. ΟΖ. 100 of Russia,= 88.. 4

100 of England, Scot

land and Ireland,=100. 0 100 of Vienna, 123.. O