28r 



dokoro and Odome, and eventually the silver— and copper-ores from Ikuno and- 

 the ores of antimony from lehinokawa, near Saijo. According to the report on 

 the Ujeno Exhibition in 1877, the present produce from these mines — with ex- 

 ception of Ikuno, which works annually ahout 20,000 tons of ore — amounts to 

 the aggregate sum of 18,000 — 19,000 tons of ores per annum. Of all the mines 

 quoted above, Ikuno is the only one, where ores are worked by modern methods. 



The transport of the ores might here and there be rather expensive ; it would, 

 however, in nearly all instances be down-hill work, that is, from the mines to 

 the coast, and in many cases rivers, canals, the lake Biwa, the railroads between 

 Kioto or Tsuruga and Kobe, and the sea may be availed of. Where requisite the 

 transport by land must certainly be facilitated by good carriage-roads, as on the 

 whole the establishment of proper means of communication through the interior 

 of the country is a conditio sine qua non for the progress of industry in general 

 and of mining in special. The objection might be raised, that the transport of 

 the ores to the central reduction-works would enhance their price too much ; if 

 it, however, be borne in mind, that ores from South-America — even from the 

 west- coast — are profitably .smelted in Swansea, and ores from the west coast of 

 Mexico smelted in large quantities in Freiberg, that is, deep in the interior of 

 continental Europe, then it may be presumed, that the comparatively infinitesi- 

 mal short distances in the iustance quoted by us are not of so very great conse- 

 quence, even if the ores should prove less rich than those from America. 



In a similar manner as in the South central reduction-works might be estab- 

 lished at a convenient place on the northwest coast, perhaps in Funakawa. 



ENGINEEBING BUEEAU. 



A still further means for assisting private citizens in their mining enterprises 

 would be the establishment of au engineering bureau, under the Mining Depart- 

 ment, where on payment of a reasonable fee ores could be assayed and analyzed, 

 plans and estimates be obtained for such establishments as were required by the 

 works, a bureau in fact, where holders of mines could always obtain information 

 on technical questions. The Chief of this bureau should at the same time take 

 charge of the hitherto entirely wanting mining-police, that is, see that laws 

 issued with the object of procuring the workmen the greatest possible safety in 

 the mines, of securing a proper technical working method, of preventing robbing 

 &c. are observed. 



