36 



government mines (with exception of the two not yet active iron — works), which 

 has not heen covered by the outturn, amounts according to table I to yen 

 ] ,318,409, on which the surpluses in lß 77 /^ ( =yen 252,783) would pay an interest 



of — ' „ — = about 19% — Or, if the two mines at Oquusu and Kosaka, 



which have been taken over from private owners, but not yet paid for, are taken 

 into account with a first outlay of yen 350,000, then this would give an interest 



°f i vm i. i',,.. i -..-,. .,/„> =about 15%, a rate of interest, from which, however, 



i,öiö,4i.'y+düO,ooo ' 



would still have to be deducted the expenditure connected with the administra- 

 tion of the Mining section (Ivozau Kioku) in Tokio, under the Ministry of Pub- 

 lic works. 



It should not be forgotten, that this at all events tolerable result is due, not 

 to the production of precious metals, but to that of coal and copper, a circums- 

 tance, which corroborates what I have said above with regard to the prospects 

 of mining in Japan. Among the silver mines, Iunai would seem to be the best, 

 as it, although worked solely on Japanese system, yielded on an average much 

 more than Sado and Ikuno, that is, at the time of their partial Japanese work- 

 ing. In the private mines the production of gold has, according to the synopsis 

 in tab. II, somewhat decreased, the production of all the other minerals increas- 

 ed. The production of coal would at all events have been larger, if it had not 

 in that year become necessary to put Takashima under water on accouut of 

 subterranean fire, in consequence of which the mine was for a long time unable 

 to yield any output. 



Notes. to Table 111. In table III the annual average productions from the 

 government mines and the private mines are compared with each other, and the 

 comparison shows, that the government is at the head with regard to bullion, 

 while private industry takes the lead in all other produce. 



In the 2 nd part of this table a synopsis is made of the winnings of both catego- 

 ries in 18 77 / 78 (government mines) and in 1877 (private mines). 



Finally, in order to compare a previously published estimate by Mr J. Gr. II. 

 Goldfrey of the mineral produce in 1874 (Mr. Pluukett : "On the Mines of 

 Japan." Report to II. B. M.'s Minister in Yedo, 1875) — made to my know- 

 ledge before the materials had been officially collected — with the average num- 

 bers given by me (the official statistics for that year are not in my possession), 

 I have placed that estimate at the foot of tab. III. With the exception of gold, 

 the difference is unimportant. 



It appears from the 2 nJ - part of the table, that the ratio between the govern- 

 ment and the private mines has remained about the same as before, while the 

 total production, as against the previous average, has increased, of gold with 



