Kodierung
This book dates from 1869. At that time Germany used a large number of units of measure now obsolete. Their values often differed from city to city. To aid modern readers, we give the metric equivalents of some of the units used, although it is not always possible to establish which unit was meant by the author.
The word foot (Fuß) may refer to a number of different units of that name. They differ with as much as 20 percent. Most likely meant was the Rhineland foot (1 Rheinländischen Fuß = 0.313 853 m). As this book was printend in Bavaria, however, the Bavarian foot could also have been ment. (1 Bayrische Fuß = 0.291 859 206 m).
The foot was divided into 12 inches (1 Zoll = 2.615 442 cm), which in turn was divided into 12 lines (1 Linie = 2.179 54 mm). Multiples of the foot where the yard (1 Elle = 2 Fuß) and fathom (1 Faden = 6 Fuß).
Note that in many measures recorded in this book, the Parisian line (1 Pariser Linie = 2.255 83 mm) was used. We see the Spanish foot (1 pie castellano = 0.276 m) mentioned a few times, and, for reference mention that the British Imperial foot is 0.306 m.
When used for atmospheric pressure the Parisian line indicates the height of a column of mercury. One Parisian line of mercury is equivalent to 300.75 Pascal, so the average air pressure of 337.18 lines measured at Manila is equivalent to 1014.07 kPa. By definition, one atmosphere is 1013.25 kPa.
The geographic mile (1 Geografische Meile = 7420.439 m or 1/15 of a degree at the equator) is a much longer distance than the statute mile. The area of 2000 square geographic miles given for Luzon is equivalent to 110 125 km2, which is reasonably accurate.
The nautical mile or sea mile (1 Seemeile = 1852 m).
The picul is an old Chinese and Malay measure (1 Picul = 60.478 982 kg).
The Réaumur temperature scale was a scale established in 1730 by the French naturalist René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur. Zero degrees was set at the freezing point of water and 80 degrees at the boiling point of water at normal atmospheric pressure. To convert degrees Réaumur to degrees Celcius, simply multiply by 1.25.
Currency units used where not standarized in Germany at that time. A number of highly confusing systems where in use. Most common where the Thaler and Gulden systems, with local variations in each German state.
| 1 Species Thaler | = 2 Gulden | ||
| 1 Reichsthaler (Rthlr.) | = 90 Kreutzer | = 30 neugroschen (ngr.) | = 360 Pfennige |
| 1 Gulden (fl.) | = 60 Kreutzer | = 240 Pfennige | |
| 1 Kreutzer (kr.) | = 4 Pfennige | ||
| 1 Pfennig (dl.) | = 2 Heller | ||
In 1876, this system was replaced by the Mark system, where one Mark was divided into 100 Pfennige. One Thaler was set equivalent to three Mark. In Purchasing Power Parity terms, a Reichsthaler in 1869 is equivalent to roughly € 24 today.