292 MINING 



Even after Japan was really known and the ports of Macao, 

 Manila and Batavia were successfully brought into commercial 

 relations with it, the export of silver appeared to be a further and 

 surer proof of the metallic wealth of the country. But this ceased 

 entirely in 1642, and was replaced from that time by copper, to 

 the great advantage of the Dutch. 



After the re-opening of Japan, now more than thirty years since, 

 the inhabitants shared only too gladly the general belief of the 

 foreigners. It was true that their old mines yielded little or no 

 profit, but this was owing, so said many, to the fact that the means 

 at hand and employed for taking out the supposed treasures were 

 not adequate to the task. The thing needful, was to cast off the 

 old system and to make use of the rich experiences and scientific 

 appliances of mining in the Christian lands of the West. 



And so there came engineers from America, England, France 

 and Germany successively to counsel and instruct, but after a few 

 years and the expiration of contracts they were generally dismissed, 

 for the conviction deepened that it was not in their power, with all 

 their science and experience, to assure the State or private enterprise 

 a new and large source of revenue. The best and most conscien- 

 tious among them found themselves encompassed with difficulties 

 and hindrances in adapting their studies and experience to the 

 situation and in establishing a scientific industry. I mention only 

 the serious difficulty involved in not understanding the language, 

 and the impossibility of establishing immediate direct intercourse ; 

 the crowd of useless officials that surrounded them ; the lack of 

 proper means of transport,! added to the unsteadiness and con- 

 stant desire for innovation on the part of the authorities, who could 

 not patiently wait till the reforms begun should be carried through 

 and tested. 



The Japanese had searched their country for valuable minerals, 

 and had exhausted the existing mines, far more than was believed 

 at the beginning of the new era, some thirty years ago. In fact I 

 have not learned that one of the many foreign engineers was able 

 anywhere to discover new openings or beds of mineral. The 

 interest of the nation to find and dig up the treasures of the earth 

 had been from early times a very lively one, as numerous traces 

 of old prospecting and mining, and a fairly rich literature on the 

 subject, plainly show. 



Most of the foreign mining engineers who were called to Japan 

 after the Perry expedition, to assist as counsellors and enterprisers 



^ The absence of well adapted means of intercourse, and the great distance of 

 most mines from the coal supply, made the smeking of their products more 

 and more difficult and expensive. For reasons which have been mentioned, this 

 process must take place in the neighbourhood, but since charcoal serves as the 

 means of reduction, the forest not being replenished has gradually disappeared 

 in a wide circle around the mines. This has necessitated the bringing of char- 

 coal on beasts of burden from ever-increasing distances, as Hagmaier relates in 

 the account of his travels mentioned above. 



