fathom of fuelwood

[Shawn W Miller]

	I'm in the process of publishing an article in Forest & Conservation 
History which discusses the use of fuelwood in the production of sugar.  I 
had the luck (or misfortune) of running into a reference from a 17th century
 English source which stated that a Brazilian sugar mill consumed in 24 hours
 40 fathoms of firewood.  Is anyone familiar with this measurement.  Could 
it be a cubed fathom (approx. 2 meters cubed.)  I have yet to run to the 
library to check the Oxford English Dict.   

Respond here or at   swm5 at columbia.edu