556 Jewellers. 



mills, the substance is extended to the space desired, and pre- 

 sents a sheet, on one side of thin gold, and on the other of in- 

 ferior metal. From this metal, 'thus compounded, great num- 

 bers of seals and other small articles are made, which are gold 

 to appearance, and will retain that appearance, even when con- 

 stantly worn, during ten or twelve years. 



The gilding of metal, by applying to it powder-gold, com- 

 bined with quicksilver, so as to leave only the gold on the 

 surface, is another mode, by which toys and trinkets are fur- 

 nished at a cheap rate to those whose purses do not admit of 

 their buying ornaments of either fine gold, alloyed gold, or 

 gold plating. There are millions in every part of the world, 

 each of whom obtains and disperses a certain quantity of gold," 

 which, though minute individually, amounts to a sum of high 

 value when the whole of the human race who consume such ar- 

 ticles is comprehended in the calculation. If among the male 

 part of the public, the use of gold ornaments has not been 

 adopted to the same additional extent as among the females, 

 yet some progressive increase is very apparent. The use of 

 gold chains for eye-glasses, the increased number and size of 

 seals, brooches, and breast-pins, and the small waistcoat buttons 

 of gold, or of gilding or plating, have caused a great consump- 

 tion of that metal. Whoever has travelled much on the Con- 

 tinent must have been struck, particularly with the size of the 

 seals, the great number of trinkets, and the weight of the gold 

 chains usually appended to the watches both of the ladies and 

 gentlemen. The fashions of Europe extend their influence to 

 every civilized part of the world. In America, in the different 

 colonial establishments founded by Europeans in the West and 

 East Indies, in Africa, Asia, and Australia, besides their do- 

 mestic manufactures, they are supplied with ornaments, consist- 

 ing in a greater or less degree of gold and silver, some portions 

 of which are again used by even the savage tribes which are in 

 contact with them. 



From this extensive spread of ornamental as well as of useful 

 articles, it must be obvious that no calculation, with whatever 

 care or research it may have been preceded, can be of such a 

 nature as to be more than an approximation to accuracy. The 

 task, however, must be undertaken, and the reader be left to 



