4 
Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
GOLD. 
Consideriu" the vast extent of the auriferous deposits of this 
Colony, it will at first sight appear strange that tlie quantity of 
gold raised since the first discovery (now some twenty-four years 
ago) shoTild amount to only 8,205,2:12 ounces. It must be 
stated that the total (piantity given represent.s only the gold 
passed through the Custom House and received at the Mint, and 
does not include the gold used in this Colony in manufactures 
.and otherwise, and sent out of the Colony by private hands 
before the impo,sition of the import duty. In view of the fact 
that, iit a time when gold was jnirchased simply by weight, a 
higher price could bo obtained in an adjoining Colony than iu thi.s, 
there docs not ajjpear to Im any reason for supposing that any 
gold raised in that Colony is included in the above total, but there 
arc cogent reasons why that total may not include all the gold 
got iu this Cedony. 
In the ab.sence of statistics showing the average yields obtained 
from given (|uantitic,.s of the alluvial and vein stuff of our several 
Gold Pields, the total given (supposing it to repre.sent even 
appro.vimatcly the ([iiantity of gold raised in this Colony) should 
by Jio means he regarded a.s evidence that our gold deposits are 
not both rich .and extensive. Tho.se .ac(|uaiutcd with the Gold 
Tiehhs of this Colony will .accept the smallnes.s of the quantity of 
gold raised .as imlicating that our auriferous re.sources have not 
only not boon fully developcal but have scarcely been touched. 
Tj.xcept in some lew localitic.s the quartz veins h.ave not been 
worked to any depth, and may be said to be pr.actically untosted. 
Alluvial lands h.ave in some instances been worked to a depth of 
some 200 feet, but tliere are the strongest indications of the 
existence of deep leads in varioias part.s of the Colony where no 
attempt h. IS yet been made to work them; and coin jj.ariim the 
work that has been done in this branch of mining with what has 
to be done, the working of deep leads may bo said^’to have scai'celv 
commonMd._ Indeed, up to the prc.sent time (some few localities 
exempted) muung jias been limited to the working of river beds 
and shallow alluvial deposits, and even thi.s has been done iu the 
roughest nuinncr and with the aid of the rudest .appliances. That 
gicviter strides have not been m.ade iu the discovery of new deiio.sits 
and in the dcveloimient of those alre.ady known, iiiav be due in I 
very great me.asure to the .sparseiiess of our mining popiil.atioii. 
In the case of 1 arkes and Giilgoiig, ivhcre large numbers of 
mmeis <ue loc.itcd, new discoveries are frequent, and prospecting 
IS carried on with some degree of system, but on the tliintopopm 
hited helds the inmcrs appear to he able to make .a Ihdilg by 
working or reworking old ground in the old fashion, and so long 
as they can make a uiodeiato iiicomo they seem to have no iucem 
