II.— MINERAL RESOURCES. 



The mineral resources of Victoria, excluding building ma- 

 terials, are principally gold and tin. 



GOLD. 



The distribution of gold is much more general than that 

 of tin. 



The area in Victoria over which gold deposits extend, 

 according to the examinations of Mr. Selwyn, is about 20,000 

 square miles ; this estimate excluding the whole of the 

 country west of the Grampians, and Swan Hill on the 

 Murray, in which there is no present reason for supposing 

 gold to exist (the country not having been as yet geologically 

 examined), and the whole of Gipps Land, in which several 

 promising gold fields have lately been opened. 



Of this great area of 20,000 square miles, only about 250 

 square miles have been actually worked. 



From this small proportion of the auriferous area, export 

 duty has been paid on upwards of 3,003,811 oz. in 1856 

 2,729,655 oz. in 1857, 2,536,983 oz. in 1858. The year 1859^ 

 and the first two months of 1860, show a corresponding small 

 diminution. This diminution, although made more for- 

 midable by the large amount of machinery, gradually added 

 during the period, admits of satisfactory explanation. 



1. In the first place, the alluvial gold fields, having an old 

 reputation, making them well known to the bulk of the popu- 

 lation by name, are the spots on which people still congregate, 

 although they are being more or less worked out with the 

 progress of time, so that these limited areas no longer pay 

 the great number of men, with insufficient means, which they 

 formerly supported. In connection with this point we have 

 only to refer to the very large unworked area alluded to above, 

 including tracts in all probability as rich as any that have 

 been yet worked, to indicate the reasons for our belief, that 

 no gloomy views of failing gold supply could properly be 

 supported by the decreasing figures of the gold returns of the 

 last few years. 



2. Very large tracts of rich gold fields have within the last 

 two years been taken up by mining companies, with the in- 

 tention of applying powerful pumping machinery, and of 



