Note (2) — 34.—Of the tower of Babilony that is of such great height.

(2.) “And one inch is the first member of the thumb.”—Schiltberger fails to distinguish the Italian from the Lombard mile; we are therefore at liberty to conclude that he here alludes to the ancient Roman mile, .75 of a degree, which consists of 59,800 untz or zoll, the zoll being equal to the English inch. In saying that the Italian or Lombard mile consists of 45,000 inches only, Schiltberger gives us to understand that the “schuch” was one-fourth shorter than the foot; in other words, he refers to the palma, an Italian measure of his day. It follows, therefore, that the pace of five palmas must have measured 3 ft. 9 in.—Bruun.