have adopted as a means of secret communication a set of Italian numerals from the organ-grinders and image-sellers, or by other ways through which Italian or Lingua Franca is brought into the low neighbourhoods of London.  In so doing they have performed a philological operation not only curious but instructive.  By copying such expressions as due soldi, tre soldi, as equivalent to ‘twopence,’ ‘threepence,’ the word saltee became a recognized slang term for ‘penny’; and pence are reckoned as follows: 

oney saltee 1d. uno soldo. dooe saltee 2d. due soldi. tray saltee 3d. tre soldi. quarterer saltee 4d. quattro soldi. chinker saltee 5d. cinque soldi. say saltee 6d. sei soldi. say oney saltee, or setter saltee 7d. sette soldi. say dooe saltee, or otter saltee 8d. otto soldi. say tray saltee, or nobba saltee 9d. nove soldi. say quarterer saltee, or dacha saltee 10d. dieci soldi. say chinker saltee or dacha oney saltee 11d. undici soldi. oney beong 1s. a beong say saltee 1s. 6d. dooe beong say saltee, or madza caroon 2s. 6d. (half-crown, mezza
          
                                   corona).

One of these series simply adopts Italian numerals decimally.  But the other, when it has reached 6, having had enough of novelty, makes 7 by 6-1, and so forth.  It is for no abstract reason that 6 is thus made the turning-point, but simply because the costermonger is adding pence up to the silver sixpence, and then adding pence again up to the shilling.  Thus our duodecimal coinage has led to the practice of counting by sixes, and produced a philological curiosity, a real senary notation.”

In addition to the two methods of counting here alluded to, another may be mentioned, which is equally instructive as showing how readily any special method of reckoning may be developed out of the needs arising in connection with any special line of work.  As is well known, it is the custom in ocean, lake, and river navigation to measure soundings by the fathom.  On the Mississippi River, where constant vigilance is needed because of the rapid shifting of sand-bars, a special sounding nomenclature has come into vogue,[219] which the following terms will illustrate: 

   5 ft. = five feet.
   6 ft. = six feet.
   9 ft. = nine feet.
  10-1/2 ft. = a quarter less twain; i.e. a quarter of a fathom less than 2.
  12 ft. = mark twain.
  13-1/2 ft. = a quarter twain.
  16-1/2 ft. = a quarter less three.
  18 ft. = mark three.
  19-1/2 ft. = a quarter three.
  24 ft. = deep four.