Refiners of' Gold and Silver. 349 



attention to every detail is indispensable. It is impossible to 

 conduct the delicate operations on which they are engaged, with- 

 out some considerable knowledge of the chemistry of metallic 

 substances, which is, in many instances, extended far beyond 

 the bounds of their own trade. Traders of this description are 

 open and accurate in their communications with those from 

 whom they fear no rivalry, and suspect no improper or under- 

 hand intention ; and, except in one instance, every individual 

 applied to frankly stated his own product of refined gold, and 

 gave his opinion of the product of other houses with whose trans- 

 actions he had any means of being acquainted. Out of twenty- 

 three or twenty.four houses in the country and in London, in 

 these branches of trade, eleven supplied to this inquiry the real 

 quantity of gold which on the average of the last years they had 

 refined. This was done under an assurance of secrecy as to 

 each individual, but with full permission to state the collective 

 result in any manner that might be deemed advisable. A small 

 number of these houses refine more than 13,000 ounces yearly, 

 most of the remainder from 6000 to 8500 ; and the produce of 

 the whole eleven amounts to 108,500 ounces. There are twelve 

 or thirteen others, of which three may be calculated to refine 

 about 4500 ounces each, four about 3500 each, and the remain- 

 ing four about 2500 each. 



The whole may be brought under one view thus : 



Product of pure gold from eleven houses, 108,500 ounces 



three houses, 13,500 



four houses, 14,000 



fourhouses, 10,000 



146,000 



From the time that has been spent in this branch of the in- 

 quiry, — from the number of persons from whom communica- 

 tions have been received, — and from the consideration which 

 has been since paid to all the circumstances connected with the 

 subject, — the degree of confidence given to the result arrived at 

 is greater than can safely be bestowed on the future stages of 

 the examination. 



The mode in which these 146,000 ounces of pure gold are 



disposed among the several manufacturers becomes now a topic 



3 



