G4 3. H; C. RUSSELL. ° | 
ably above the annual average, although less than that received 
during the two preceding years. The greatest quantity of gold 
coined in any one year since the opening of the Mint in 1855 was 
900,475 ounces, value £3,340,473 received in 1889, and due to 
the large output of the Queensland mines, from which the Mint 
‘received no less than 732,447 ounces of the value of £2,722,026. 
It is, however, in the produce of our silver mines that very great 
advances have lately been made. Previous to 1884 the total 
export of silver was under £20,000 a year; in that year it rose 
to over £200,000, and has since so rapidly increased that the total 
value of Silver and Silver lead and ore exported in 1891 was 
*£3,619,589, and the total produce of the Colony for the last eight 
years is estimated at over *£11,000,000. 
Through the courtesy of the Under-Secretary for Mines I have 
been furnished with a forward copy of the annual report of that 
Department. Itis a work so full of valuable information that it 
is difficult to make a selection which will fairly indicate our pro- 
gress in acquiring the wealth which lies hidden in the soil. The 
Government Geologist points out that one branch of the work— 
the survey and report on new localities—has during the year been 
somewhat hindered by the great increase in the number of appli- 
cations for aid from the Prospecting Vote, which in each case had 
to be examined and reported on by the Geological surveyors. It 
is remarkable that although there has been during the year a very 
large increase in the total amount and value of minerals obtained, 
there has been a considerable falling off in the number of applica- 
tions, made to lease Crown lands for mining purposes. . The num- 
ber of applications made to lease Crown lands for mining purposes 
during 1891 was 2,210, being a decrease of 538 as compared with 
1890. Of the 2,210 applications so made, 1,021 were for aurifer- 
ous land comprising an area of 7,471 acres, and 1,189 for other 
minera! land comprising an area of 51,227 acres. On the other 
hand, the gold won was valued at £558,305, which is greater than 
* These amounts include lead, as it is impossible to arrive at the value 
of the silver from the available returns, 
