594 Chronicles of Sctence. | Oct., 
arising from this system, to balance numerous disadvantages, being 
to establish more securely the monopoly of the copper smelters. 
The British isles produced of lead ore 90,452 tons, the value of 
which was 1,153,154/.; from this was obtained 67,181 tons of lead 
and 724,856 ounces of silver, the value of the lead being 1,433,1612., 
and that of the silver being 1993354. 
Passing from silver to gold, we find that the Welsh mountains 
produced in 1865 1,664 ounces and 11 dwts. of gold. It would 
be interesting to know at what cost this gold was obtained. Of 
zinc ores we appear to have produced 17,842 tons, and of iron 
pyzites (sulphur ores) 114,195 tons. 
By far the most important of our mineral products remain to 
be noticed. Our coal and our iron must, at present—view them in 
whatever light we may—be regarded as the mainstays of our 
manufactures and of our commerce. In 1865 we had 3,256 
collieries at work, and from them we drew the enormous quantity 
of 98,150,587 tons, of this we exported 9,170,477 tons, retaining 
88,980,110 for home consumption. Of this it appears that 
14,457,762 tons were used in making 4,819,254 tons of pig iron, 
and 14,325,390 tons employed in converting this into merchant 
iron. Our purpose in this place is merely to chronicle facts as 
they arise; we could have commented on the appomtment of the 
Royal Commission to inquire into the duration of our coal fields, 
and other matters connected with this subject, had they not been 
treated fully in another division of our Journal.* 
It may be incidentally stated that we learn the labours of the 
Royal Commission have been divided amongst several committees, 
who are to consider :— 
1. The waste of coal in getting. 
2. The waste of coal in consumption. 
3. The depth to which collieries may be worked and ventilated. 
4, The existence of coal under the Eastern Counties. 
5. The statistics of produce—trade and manufacture. 
The extension of our coal fields beg committed to the charge 
of the Geological Survey. 
The total value of our mineral productions is thus given in the 
‘ Mineral Statistics ’ :— 
Total value of Minerals, 82,359,105/. 
The total value of the Metals obtained from the metalliferous 
ores of the United Kingdom bemg . .  &15,773,287 
The value of the Coal raised : ; : 24,537,646 
Harthy Minerals, not including Cay or Burip- 
ING STONES ; : 1,434,496 
£41,745,429 
* “Our Coal Resources and our Prosperity,” Art. I. 
