CHAP. XI. A further Account of the Measures of England, with a true Proportion of the Weight of English Cloths.

FIrst, for the Breadth, Measure and Weight of English-Cloath, that chief of Staple-Commodities, Kent, York, and Redding Cloaths are six quarters and a half broad, and ought to weigh eighty six pounds; the Cloath in the Peice are in length thirty, and thirty four Yards. Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex Cloaths of seven quarters wide, are eighty pounds Weight, twenty nine and thirty two Yards in Length. Worcester, Coventry, and Hereford Cloaths of six quar∣ters and a half, are in Weight seventy eight pound, and in Measure thirty, & thirty three Yards. Glocester, Oxon, and Wiltshire, and Summersetshire Cloaths, of seven quarters wide weigh seventy six pounds, and in length twenty nine, and thirty two Yards. Suffolk Sorting Cloaths of six quarters and a half wide, ought to weigh sixty four pound, and to be in length twenty four and Page  54 twenty six Yards. All sorts of Cloaths that are six quarters and a half wide, ought to weigh sixty pound, and be twenty four and twenty six Yards in length; broad and narrow Yorkshire of four quarters wide, weigh thirty pound, and in length are twenty four, and twenty five Yards. Broad-Cloath of Taunton, Dunstable, and Bridg-Water of seven quarters, weigh thirty pound the Cloath, and in Measure are twelve, and thirteen Yards. Devonshire Kersies, and Dossens of four quarters, weigh thirteen pounds, in Mea∣sure twelve, and thirteen Yards. Chequer Kersies, Grays, Striped and Plain of four quar∣ters are in Weight twenty four pound, in Mea∣sure seventeen, and eighteen Yards. Ordinary Penistons or Forrests of three quarters and a half, in Weight twenty eight pound, in Measure twelve and thirteen Yards. Sort∣ing Peniston of six quarters and a half are pounds thirty five, Yards thirteen and fourteen. Washers of Lancashire and others the Cloaths are seventeen pounds in Weight, in Measure seventeen and eighteen Yards. This Custom of assizing Cloaths at a cer∣tain Weight was first imposed for the pre∣venting defrauds in making slight sleasy, or imperfect Cloaths, and if any of the aforesaid Cloaths prove otherwise then is specifyed, Page  55 the maker, or seller, ought to allow accord∣ing to the want, either in Width, Length, or Weight, and for so refusing, may be sued for a defraud.

To bring this to perfection the Weight of Wool is thus, the Sack of Wool doth contain three hundred sixty four pounds, the Tod twenty eight pound, thirteen Tods being accounted to a Sack; every Tod being four Nales, and every Nail, seven pound: The Sack of Wool is imputed to finish four Standard Cloaths, of twenty four Yards each in length, & six Yards & half quar¦ter wide, of sixty pound Weight, commonly called Sorting Cloaths. In the Weight it is to be noted whether the Cloaths are thick Mill'd, well scoured, and throughly dryed, that the same be Measured by the Yard, and that an Inch be allowed to every Yard: And thus much for Woollen Manufacture.

And now I am entering on Ship-Board, to view the World, and to pass the unfa∣thomed Paths of the Deep. It will not be amiss to give a more full tho brief account of the Measures whereby such things are Measured as are sent on Board for the Sub∣sistance of those that go down into the Deep, &c. as thus, the English Measures for all Grain according to the Statues in that case made and provided are the Pint, Quart, Page  56 Pottle, Gallon. A Gallon being eight Pints, four Quarts, two Potles; the Peck two Gallons, the half Bushel, two Pecks, the Bu∣shel, two half Bushels, the Strike two Bushel, the Cornock two Strikes, the Quarter, two Cornocks. The Weigh either of Corn or Salt is forty six Bushels; and the Last is eighty Bushels. Note in Salt Water Measure is allowed, viz. five Pecks to the Bushel. Liquid Measures thus, the Ale Firkin to contain eight Gallons, Kil∣derkin sixteen, and the Barrel thirty two. A Beer Firkin ought to contain nine Gal∣lons, the Firkin eighteen, and the Barrel thirty six; the Kilderkin of Wine ought to be eighteen Gallons, the Barrel thirty one, the Hogs-Head sixty three, the Tertian eighty four, the Butt, or Pipe one hundred twenty six, the Tun two hundred fifty two. A Runlet of Oyl ought to be eight Gallons and a half, a Hogs-Head sixty three, a Pipe one hundred twenty six, and the Tun one hundred fifty two; tho as to Oyl in the Measure thereof, the Custom of London differs from the Statute, allowing but seven pound to each Gallon, and by that means the Tun is reduced to one hundred thirty six, and so at this day 'tis sold; and thus far having proceeded to give those that are desirous to Trade, or Traffick, Page  57 either by Land, or Sea, an insight into most of the English growth, and Manufa∣ctures; I shall now hoise up Sail and bear before the Wind, not intending to cast Anchor till my adventurous Bark arrive in the late discovered America, to take a View of the Trade and Traffick thereof, and from thence into Affrick, so to Asia, and then to Europe, all along observing the Cities, Towns, Ports, Havens, Bays, either in Continent or Island; in whatso∣ever place the English have any Traffick of note; or any other European Navi∣gators.