24 ESTIMATED PRODUCE OF GOLD IN BORNEO, 



is the result of a very moderate calculation of the produce of these 

 mines. According to an estimate made in the year 1812, the 

 annual produce of the mines on the west coast of Borneo was 

 estimated at 4,744,000 Spanish dollars, being an excess of a 

 million sterling. The quantity of gold procured in Sumatra, 

 the supposed golden Chersonesus of the ancients, is, according to 

 Mr. Marsden, about 30,800 ounces, which, at 4. sterling the ounce, 

 is worth 123,200L, equal to 492,800 Spanish dollars. 



" With respect to the disposal of the gold from the mines of 

 Borneo, it may be observed, that every native Chinese, whether 

 employed in the mines, in agriculture, as merchant or artificer, 

 manages every year to remit at least the value of one tahil, more or 

 less, of gold to his relations in China. These remittances are gene- 

 rally made by the junks in gold, as it saves freight, is more easily 

 smuggled on shore without the notice of the rapacious mandarin, 

 and remitted overland to the residence of their families. Taking 

 the Chinese male population who can thus remit at double the 

 number employed in the mines, and supposing one half to be born 

 the country, most of whom may not remit to China, this 

 remittance would amount to 34,000 bengkals or tahils, which at 

 eighteen Spanish dollars is 612,000 dollars, or 153,000 



" It is calculated that, one year with another, at least 

 500 Chinese return in the junks to their native country with 

 a competency. Several have been known to take away 1,000 

 bengkals of gold, many from 100 to 530 ; but very few return 

 before they have cleared a competency of 2,000 dollars, or from 

 100 to 120 tahils of gold. This goes partly in gold; though 

 they prefer investing a part of it in tin from Banka, opium, and 

 other articles. Say, however, that they remit one half in 

 gold ; 500 men, at 1,000 dollars each, will give 500,000 dollars, 

 which added to the small family remittances, accounts for an 

 amount exceeding 1,000,000 dollars, or 250,OOOZ. This calcula- 

 tion, however, seems to be far within the mark, and gives less by 

 one-half than what is usually stated to be remitted to China from 

 the Bornean mines, which has been estimated at a loose guess at 

 2,000,000 dollars, or 500,000?. 



" A further amount of not less than the value of 1,000,000 

 dollars, or 250,0001. is supposed to find its way annually to 

 Western India, and principally to Bengal, via Batavia, Malacca, 



