(Continued from previous message)

GM>Vespers; the perimeter of the estates seized by the King from Barons not
GM>contributing sufficiently to the King's comfort. All these things needed
GM>a much larger unit - consequently the mile.

GM>The King, being a quick-witted man despite his small size in crowns,
GM>decreed that the mile should be three and 9/16  times the range of the
GM>second most powerful crossbow in the castle when fired into a Force 3
GM>head wind. Fortuitously, this distance was found to be 4,055,040
GM>sixty-fourths, or 63,360 inches, or 28,160 nails, or 15,840 hands, or
GM>8,000 links or 5280 feet, or 1760 yards, or 320 rods, or 80 chains, or
GM>if you prefer even 8 furlongs - which of course all turn out to be 1408
GM>ells (English ells of course; the Flemish had 1760 ells to a mile and
GM>hence undershot, while the French had 1173.33333 of their ells to a
GM>mile, and after many years of overshooting, invented the Metric system
GM>to maintain the status quo vis-…-vis perfidious Albion).

GM>Table of everyday equivalents of length measurements:
GM>1 mile     = 1408 ells                  1 chain    = 352 nails
GM>1 furlong  = 1980 hands                 1 rope     = 6-2/3 yards
GM>1 skein    = 545-5/11 links             1 rod      = 16-1/2 feet
GM>1 league   = 2640 fathoms               1 cable    = 8640 inches
GM>=========================================================================

GM>From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia

GM>... I support the Metric System every inch of the way!
GM>___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

GM>--- FLAME v2.0/b
GM>-8239-0497 (3:800/449)                                               
                                                      
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