128 Scientific Intelligence. 
annual production it seems probable that gold will abe begin t 
sensibly appreciate in value unless some new and unlooked for dis 
covery of placers shall be made, of which, however, there does not 
appear to be much probability. * 
It was argued Chevalier and others soon after the great dis) | 
coveries of gold in California and Australia, that gold would neces- 
sarily dopsoaite: in yalue—that its purchasing - wer was desu 
and industry, stimulated as they have been by an increased supply 
of go e wonderful increase of the irdldizerial activity of the 
world, resulting chiefly from the varied developments and applica- 
tions of the Pp sical eehane has been ne te to appropriate all 
the excessive production of the past 20 year 
Corps of Mining Engincers.—In ieukdsteh ih. and as partly 
growing out of such a mining pic the government should or- 
ganize and make provision for a corps of mining engineers, to be 
filled subsequently by the erdskins of the college ; “the members 
of the corps to have rank and promotion corresponding with the 
eae of the corps of military engineers, 
a body of thoroughly educated men should be charged 
with ie duty of exploration of our mineral regions; with the col- 
lection of information upon them; with the at eparation of reports 
upon mineral deposits, and me moirs upon mining and met —_ 
Ridin 
ing them. 
h an organization wou ids open a new and inviting field to > 
young and epeerpating men, = “graduates of schools of ere: 
and o ery gees ek a career e fields of science. 
ce in promoting general scientific education, thereby causing an 
emu knowledge of the fundamental laws of nature to pervade — 
* The great and at present but imperfectly known gold region of Siberia and 
China, has already been n mentioned. — ah ts ip addition to bis a possibility Of, a8 
ensive eing foun Africa ci as 
of a valuable gold region there have already Soi fee been discovered. © 
coveries are reported in Mexico, but these are probably quite local in extent. 
