GENERAL. 293 



of mining industry, returned home disappointed on the expiration 

 of their contracts. A io-y^^ who understood the arts of flattery and 

 thus how to make rich contracts with officials and tradesmen for 

 the deUvery of machines and other needed articles, at the expense 

 of the State, remained longer, but these people were least of all the 

 ones to bring about a healthy state of the mining industry.^ When 

 we look over the annual reports of the results of mining since 

 1868, we recognise the fact in most cases the efforts made up to 

 this time, have not been able to increase the products in any con- 

 siderable degree. They only justify my opinion, previously given 

 (vol. i.), that the distribution of metals, like gold, silver, tin, lead, 

 zinc and mercury is very small, and not to be compared with 

 that of other countries, that iron and antimony are to be found 

 in greater quantities, but that Japan is only really rich in coal 

 and copper. 



It is evident that the gold and silver mines were much richer in 

 earlier times. They were gradually exhausted, however, under the 

 Tokugawa regime, as far as w^as possible with their rude manner of 

 working. For even if the estimates and reports of the former metal 

 export (viz., that of gold and silver in the time of Portuguese com- 

 merce with Japan) were exaggerated, and are not borne out by the 

 sober judgment of to-day, still it is distinctly stated in the com- 

 munications of E. Kaempfer,2 that the Dutch carried away from 

 Hirado a yearly average of 1,200-1,400 chests of silver, 1,200,000- 

 1,400,000 taels, or from £ 1^2 f)^\-£\\ 1,^6^ in value, during the 

 period between the years 1600 and 1641 ; that for some time after 

 this, they exchanged their wares for copper instead of silver, and 

 brought away from 12-20,000 pikuls a year, or 720,000-1,200,000 

 kilogrammes. Reckoned together, this yearly 45-52 tons of silver, 

 and 720-1,200 tons of copper makes a very important amount for 

 those times. 



According to government statistics, which however can make 

 no claim to reliability in regard to private mining, the yearly aver- 

 age yield of silver during the years 1877-1881 was 11-64 tons, and 

 of copper 8,900 tons. Thus, in modern times, Japan has for its 

 yearly silver production only the fourth part of what it formerly 

 exported. The amount of copper seems exaggerated, for in 1874 

 G. Hochstetter, the conductor and counsellor in the chief mining 

 office at that time, estimated the copper production at 3,000 tons, 



' One of the most competent German engineers gave his experience in the 

 following sharp, but I am told quite correct expressions. "The Japanese is 

 vain, remarkably susceptible to flattery, unsteady and always seeking some new 

 thing. The most unsuccessful attempts were made at mining. Some of the 

 foreign advisers gave poor counsel because of their own lack of knowledge. 

 Many others flattered the childish vanity of the Japanese, in order to fill their 

 own pockets, and found ready accessories, since sharpers have the keen scent 

 and eye which honest men often lack." 



2 E. Kaempfer's " Gesch. u. Bcschreib. von Japan." II. Bd. Lemgo, 1779, 

 pp. 89-122. 



