GOLD. 



153 



In 1882 the exploitation of veinous gold was started in the Yeniseisk region, but it 

 developes very slowly, and as yet the production has never exceeded eight pouds, and in recent 

 years has even been under one and one-half pouds. 



The gold workings of the Nizhneoudinsk region of the government of Irkutsk and of 

 the Kansk region of the government of Yeniseisk, are situated along the system of the river 

 Birusa. Only the upper courses of this river pass through the Nizhneoudinsk region, after 

 which it flows through the Kansk region of the government of Yeniseisk. At the present 

 time these region occupy almost the last place among the Siberian gold producing 

 regions, although formerly the Berusinsk system was among the richest in Eastern Siberia. 



The first discovery of gold in the Birusinsk system was made in 1836. The richness 

 of the deposits of this system attracted numerous prospecting parties, and already in 1839 

 the Kansk and Nizhneoudinsk regions yielded about 41V-' pouds of gold, out of a total of 

 48V3 pouds extracted in Eastern Siberia. The maximum yield of gold from these regions 

 was in 1842 when it equaled 204 pouds 6 pounds, or about 20 per cent of the total production 

 in Ptussia. Since then the production of gold in these regions has gradually decreased, 

 and in some years has even fallen below 15 pouds. However this decrease should not be 

 ascribed to the exhaustion of the mines but chiefly to the discoveries of gold in other 

 systems, and there is reason for thinking that if more detailed explorations were made, ami 

 the exploitation of the deposits more scientifically carried out, then the Berusinsk system 

 would once more stand to the fore. 



The following table gives the production of the gold-bearing regions of the Yeniseisk 

 system during the period 1882 to 1891. 



