324 M. Humboldt on the Discovery of a Mine of' Platinum. 



the presence of the same metal in the alluvial soils of the val- 

 ley de Osos. 



M. Humboldt announced at the same time, that mines of 

 platinum had recently been found in the Uralian Mountains, 

 in the government of Perma. These mines are so rich that 

 the price of platinum fell nearly one-third at St Petersburg. 

 Hence we may reasonably expect that this valuable metal 

 will cease to bear that high price at which it has hitherto been 

 sold. In 1824, the auriferous and platiniferous soil of the 

 Ural produced 286 puds, which gave 5700 kilogrammes of 

 metal, having a value of nineteen millions 500,000 francs. 

 The mines of all Europe together do not produce annually 

 more than 1300 kilogrammes. Those of Chili yield only 

 3000, and all Columbia furnishes only 5000. 



The Ural yields at present as much gold as was ever ob- 

 tained from Brazil at the time when its mines were most pro- 

 ductive. The maximum, which took place in 1755, was 6000 

 kilogrammes of gold. At present Brazil yields only 1000. 



It would be reasonable to suppose, that this prodigious in- 

 crease in the productiveness of the mines of the Ural might 

 have a very important influence, not only on the prosperity of 

 Russia, but on the real value of gold. But this opinion can- 

 not be maintained, if we attend to the circumstance, that the 

 quantity of this metal actually existing on the surface of the 

 globe is so considerable, that a quantity eighteen millions of 

 francs in value, is, comparatively, almost insensible ; and, be- 

 sides, that the diminution of the produce of almost all the 

 mines of the New World would occasion a compensation. 

 Relatively to the particular prosperity of Russia, an augmen- 

 tation of eighteen millions is, in reality, very little for a state 

 of such vast extent, particularly as nearly one-third of this 

 must be expended in working the mines. 



Nothing, besides, is more variable than the product of 

 mines. Those of Mexico, which in 1700 furnished only six 

 millions of piastres in gold and silver, produced twenty-five 

 millions in 1809 ; and this immense augmentation was un- 

 known in Europe, (where it had not produced any sensible re- 

 sult,) when M. Humboldt announced it a long time after it 

 had taken place. The revenue of Mexico has since that time 



