48 



EXPORT OF MINERAL PRODUCE. 



Table VI shows the export of produce from all the mines iu the country, with 

 exception of bullion, sulphuric acid and ores of antimony. 



Both value and quantity of the copper exports is taken from the custom- 

 house-reports ; as it is to tiie interest of the exporter to declare the value of the 

 ooppei — on which formerly an ad calorcm duty was levied — as low as possible, 

 the values given in the table are not quite the actual values. 



According to table VI, the total export of copper, whether in the shape of 

 metal, copper-ware, bronze or ore, amounted during the period 1868-1878 inch to:- 



VALUE IN YEN*. CATTIES. 



Con rse copper 2,077,999 16,38:3,121 



Oldcopper. 196,847 1,3:36,158 



Copper in sheet and wire 805, 163 3,660,000 (*) 



Copper-ware 50,988 200,000 ( *) 



Copper in bars 730,639 4,903, 1 1 5 



Bronze 622,600 witli 1 19,520 (*) 



Bronze-ware 1 14,455 „ 38,000 {*) 



Copper-ores _ 961,934 „ 720,953 (*) 



6,160,524 yen „ 27, 3b0,£67 catties copper. 



Yearly average 56U,U57. j r en 2,487,351 „ 



The 2, 487, 000 catties, which were on an average annually exported, would 

 represent about 15,000 English tons, or in round numbers 3,300,000 lbs. Eng- 

 lish, that is, an export of about 43% of the production. According to an esti- 

 mate made by Dr. Greerts (Transactions of the Asiatic Society, vol. III. p. 41), 

 the Dutchmen exported during the period from 1619 — 1858 a quantity of 



280,000 American tous, and 

 the Chinese 250,000. 



Total 530,000 American tons, or on a yearly average 2;001 English 

 tons, a quantum, which certainly, when compared with the average as stated 

 above, must appear somewhat large, especially when it be remembered, that this 

 export is said to have continued uninterrupted during two centuries and a half. 



EXPORT OF BULLION. 



If we now finally ask, what proportion the mineral production of Japan 

 bears to its export of bullion, then table VII will show us the details of the 

 latter for the years 1872-1878 inch 



(*) In the entries marked (*), the quantity of the copper has been estimated from the declared value. 



