Page:Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican, Vol 2.djvu/419

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The Mexican Vara is the unit of all measure of length, the pattern and size of which are taken from the Castilian Vara of the Mark of Burgos, which is the legal vara used in the Republic. Fifty Mexican varas make a measure called Cordel, used in measuring lands.

The legal league contains 900 cordels, or 5000 varas. The league is divided into halves and quarters — this being the only division made of it. Anciently the Mexican league was divided into three miles, the mile into a thousand paces of Solomon, and one of these paces into five-thirds of a Mexican vara — consequently the league had 3000 paces of Solomon. This division is recognized in legal affairs, though it has been long in disuse. The mark was equivalent to two varas and seven-eighths, that is, 8 marks contained 22 varas, and was used in land measure.

See Appendix No. 9 to Captain Halleck's Report on Californian affairs, — pages 119 and 145 of Executive Document No. 17, 31st Congress, 1st Session.