Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1450

 1094 TURKEY AND TRIBUTARY STATES: — BULGARIA

and thus contains 6 "6147 grammes of fine gold. The silver 20-piastre piece weighs 24 '055 grammes '830 fine, and therefore contains 19 '965 grammes of fine silver. There exists a large amount of debased silver currency — which, however, it is stated, is being gradually withdrawn — to which were added, during the years 1876 to 1881, 600,000,000 piastres of paper money, known as cairn e ; but being refused by the Government, owing to its depreciation, it became in the end of merely nominal value, and altogether refused in commercial intercourse. The copper currency was likewise re- pudiated, owing to its depreciation. The beshlik-altilik and metallic currency was reduced by decree to half its coined value. The former is now being called in (1889). Silver is in excess of the re(|uirements of trade, and is generally at 8 per cent, discount. This depreciation is further accounted for by the fact that the balance of trade is against Turkey, and by the large amounts of gold which have to be yearly exported for the payment of the funded debt and the purchase of warlike ammunition.

The Okc, of 400 drams. . . = 2*8326 lbs. avoirdupois.

,, Almud. ., . = 1 "151 imperial gallon.

,, Kileli. . . . . = 0*9120 imperial bushel.

44 Okcs = 1 Cantar or Kintal. = 125 lbs. avoirdupois.

39*44 Okcs = 1 cwt.

1^0 Okes ^ \ Tchcke. . . = 511*380 pounds.

1 Kilch = 20 Okcs. . . = 0*36 imperial quarter.

816 Kilehs. . . . . = 100 imperial quarters.

The Ayidnzt (cloth measure). , = 27 inches.

,, ArsJmi (land measure). . := 30 inches.

,, D'dnum (land measure). . =: 40 square paces.

The kileh is the chief measure for gram, the lower measures being definite weights rather than measures. 100 kilehs are equal to 12*128 British imperial quarters, or 35 '266 hectolitres.

In March 1882 Turkish weights and measures were assimilated to the metric system, but under the old names, leading to much confusion ; they have not been generally adopted in practice. Oke — kilogramme, batman ==10 kilo- grammes, cantar— 100 kilogrammes, tcheki = l,000 kilogranjmes, shinik — decalitre, kileh = hectolitre (2*75 bushels), evlek — are, djeril — hectare (2*47 acres), arshin — metre, nul = kilometre, farsang — 10 kilometres.

In 1889 the metric system of weights was made obligatory for cereals ; metric weights were decreed obligatory in January 1892, but the decree is not yet enforced.

TRIBUTARY STATES.

BULGARIA.

Reigning Prince.

Ferdinand, youngest son of the late rrime Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Princess Clementine of Bourbun-Orleans (daughter of King Louis Philippe), born Feb. 26, 1861, was elected Prince of 13ulgaria by unani- mous vote of the National Assembly, July 7, 1887 ; assumed the government August 14, 1887, in succession to Prince Alexander, who abdicated Sept. 7,