Note 12 — AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CORNISH SMUGGLER.
Reading edition
The sizes of all his vessels are given in old measurement. Before 1835 ships were measured by the following elaborate rule. Subtract three-fifths of the greatest breadth from the length of the keel, multiply this by the breadth, and the result by half of the breadth; divide the result so obtained by 94, and the answer is the size of the ship in tons (see 13 Geo. III. c. 26, § 74). They are now measured by the cubical contents. It is difficult to render these figures in modern measurement, but this sloop was probably about the size which would be now called 10 tons.