246 YEAR-BOOK OF FACTS. 



established; and it is calculated that 10,000 out of the 2S,000 

 persons of the Jewish persuasion living in that city are dependent 

 directly or indirectly on this branch of industry.* One of the 

 Largest establishments is that of Messrs. Coster, in the Zwanenburg 

 •Straat, who use steam-power to drive their machines, and employ 

 from 200 to 300 hands. 



A curious substance has lately been found in the Brazilian mines, 

 called " Carbonado," or amorphous diamond — a kind of intermediate 

 grade between diamond and cliarcoal, combining the hardness of 

 the former with the black unformed character of the latter. Close 

 inspection shows curious traces of a passage between the two states ; 

 and it is thought further examination of this substance may lead to 

 some better insight than we at present possess, as to the chemical 

 nature of the change. 



A very remarkable discovery has lately been made, that the 

 chemical element boron, the base of the common substance borax, 

 may, by a peculiar process, be obtained in transparent crystals which 

 possess the high refractive power of the diamond, and a hardness as 

 great, if not greater. At present, the crystals produced have been 

 too small to be of commercial value; but it is quite possible that, 

 hereafter, the discovery may prove to lie of great importance. 



GOLD FKOM AUSTRALIA. 



At the International Statistical Congress, held in Somerset House, 

 in July, there was presented a note "On the Gold Production of 

 Australia, up to the End of the Year 1859," submitted by the Aus- 

 tralian Delegates — which states that a very large portion of 

 Australia Proper and of Tasmania and New Zealand is auriferous. 



The officially reeorded export of gold from New South Wales is 

 inaccurate, owing to the indiscriminate addition for several year- of 

 large receipt* "t gold from Victoria to that which was produced in 

 Now South Wales. The escorts and posts conveyed in all, from 

 185] to] 59 inclusive, 1,570,047 ounces, exclusive of 80,296 ounces 

 conveyed from the Ovens gold-fields in Victoria, and therefore in- 

 cluded in the estimate for that colony — 814,009 ounces, brought 

 down by other means, will make a total of 1,884,056 ounces. At 

 77 . p< r ounce, 7, '-">.'(, (Jlti/. is the value of the total amount raised in 

 New South Wales from the first disoovery in 1851 to the end of the 

 year 1869. Bui this is small compared with the corrected returns of 

 the total yield of gold from Victoria to theendofl859. This yield 



Is 21,000,000 oi s, of the value ol nearly 94,000,0001. 



sterling. South An tralia, in thi s pro- 



di >f the value of only 160,0007. annually. Tasmania only nioo/. 



New Zealand, Bines i>-"'7. has exported 85,1 value 



of I 10,0002. The value of the total quantity raised up to the end of 

 1859, was, in New South Wales, 7,258,6167. ; in Victoria, 



• The writer had lately t h.- adrantaga of visiting ths Amsterdam diamond 



.leu:: with Professor Tennent, et four heal Bngush oonnoiiaetin In 



precioai -imn'i, and i" wboae Uin.ines., i,,. ;, indebted for much of the informa- 

 tion in the present paper. Bee also Klngs'i Handbueh dtr EdtUttimh* 



