weights and measures are divided and subdivided almost infinitely. In France, throughout a large part of Europe, and in some parts of America, a uniform system of weights and measures is in use. That system divides by ten, or multiplies by tenthe units of weights and measures; thus, the unit of weight is a gramme, a tenth part of a gramme is a decigramme, the hundredth part of a gramme a centigramme, a thousandth a milligramme, while ten grammes are a dekagramme, a hundred grammes a hectogramme, a kilogramme a thousand grammes, and a myriagramme ten thousand grammes. The mètre is the unit of length; the are, the unit of surface; the litre, the unit of capacity; to which units the same prefixes are used as we have already mentioned in respect to the gramme, with the same significations. The prefixes in all the weights and measures being identical, and the weights and measures always decimally increasing or decreasing, there is scarcely anything which requires to be learnt; the cumbrous tables of weights and measures need not be committed to memory, and much time is thereby saved. The decimal character of this system would bring to us, if we used it, a vast saving of time and labour. In all dealings with foreign countries the advantage of having but one system of weights and measures would be great, the Foreign merchant would not have the trouble, or incur the liability to error which now exists, in turning pounds and ounces, yards, feet and inches, bushels and gallons, with innumerable other denominations, into his own equivalent measures. The British merchant's difficulties are, if possible, greater than those of the Foreigner. The annexed table shows the measures of length, surface, and weight in use in France and some other parts of the Continent, with their British equivalents, which cannot be even approximately expressed without having recourse to fractions. The above Table is extracted from Statute 27 & 28 Vic. cap. 117, except the column of equivalent Vulgar Fractions. ... ... 0.056438 50 ... 0.0056438 ... 500 3 ... 0.00056438 5,000 CHAPTER II. THE CONQUEST OF PERU. It was on one of those large islands forming what are now called the West Indies, that Columbus first set foot in the New World. At that time, he certainly thought he had found a continent as large as that from which he had sailed, but had no idea of the extent of the country before him. In less than thirty years after this first discovery, the whole extent of the mighty continent, from Labrador to Terra del Fuego, was explored; for when Columbus had led the way, there were many ready enough to follow him, especially when they heard his reports of the richness of the prize thus brought within their grasp. Thus all the eastern part of the continent of America became gradually known to the Spaniards; but they knew nothing of the west coast, till, in 1511, a warrior named Vasco Nunez de Balboa founded a settlement on the Isthmus of Darien. From thence he led a small company of Spanish soldiers across the mountains, and, after enduring much fatigue and suffering from the nature of the ground they traversed, and the intense heat of the weather, they arrived at last on the other side of those mountains, which run the whole length of the isthmus which unites North and South America. Guess their surprise at finding an open sea before them, of which they had never heard! Balboa's first act was to rush into the waters, armed with his sword and buckler: and then he declared that "he claimed this unknown sea, with all that it contained, for the King of Castile, and would make good the claim against all, Christian or infidel, who dared to gainsay it." This water was the Pacific Ocean, or rather that part of it now called the Gulf of St. Michael. Balboa at once became very anxious to explore the land around him, for he had heard from the Indians whom he had met on his way, of a very rich land: "where," said they," the gold you seem to prize so much, is as cheap there as iron is with you, and the people eat and drink out of golden vessels." This description was to a great extent applicable to Peru. Balboa caused ships to be prepared for his expedition, but he did not proceed southwards more than twenty leagues, and consequently the rich land of his search remained unknown to him. Still, he had taken a great step towards effecting its discovery, and would no doubt have succeeded at last, had he not fallen a sacrifice to the jealousy of the new governor, Pedro Arias-de-Avila, or Pedrarias, as he is usually called. By this cruel man he was subjected to a mock trial, and condemned and executed at Acla. Pedrarias had received a commission from the Emperor Charles V.-who in 1516 had succeeded to the crown of Spain to act as governor, in his name, at the new settlement of Panama or Darien. As soon as Pedrarias had got rid of Balboa, he determined to avail himself of the discoveries his victim had made. Accordingly, he began by acting upon a suggestion previously made by Balboa, that Darien, the original settlement, was not the most suitable place for prosecuting expeditions on the Pacific, because it would be necessary for the explorers to cross the isthmus after each voyage. Pedrarias, therefore, caused his rising capital to be transferred from the shores of the Atlantic to those of the Pacific Ocean, and it was erected on the ancient site of Panama, some distance east of the present city of that name. These settlers made various attempts to discover the rich land of which they had heard; but as they sailed only a short way each time, and came back without finding any gold to encourage them, they made little progress in exploring the coast. It was not till they heard, at Panama, of the dazzling victory obtained by their countryman Cortes over the Mexicans, that a new impulse was given to their ardour. In 1522 the Puerto de Pinas, which was the farthest point southwards at which Balboa had touched, was again visited by the Spaniards, but immediately on their arrival there, the officer in command of the expedition was compelled by ill health to abandon the enterprise and return to Panama. But these Spaniards knew nothing of the navigation of the mighty ocean before them, neither had they any chart to direct them. Besides, they did not know how they would be received by the natives, or whether they would be able to conquer them and take possession of their gold and their country. All this deterred many from attempting to penetrate beyond the Puerto de Pinas. Francisco Pizarro, Diego de Almagro, and a priest named Lucque, formed a confederacy, and agreed to assist each other in carrying out their design. Pizarro was a native of Truxillo, a city of Estramadura, in Spain, and was born somewhere about the year 1471. His father was a soldier, |