MINERAL STATISTICS. 
As the result of an attempt to place before the public a state- 
ment of the qiiantity and value of the minernls 'won from the 
mines of this Colony, the subjoined tables arc submitted. That 
these tables are so incomplete and represent only a])])roximately 
the produce of our mines is due to the facts tliat, owing to the 
recent establishment of this department, the arrangements for 
coliectingstatistical information have not yetbeeu fully completed, 
that previous to its establishment the means of collecting and pre- 
serving such information ■were most imperfect, and tliat after the 
la]3se of a great number of years it is most difficult to gather 
information which could at the time have been obtained with 
comparative ease. The value of complete statistics brought up 
to date can scarcely be overrated, because they Avouhl form the 
basis of future labours, and for this reason past neglect of this 
important subject is much to be regretted. The arrangements 
for the future are such as it is hoped will secure the collection, 
publication, and preservation of complete and authentic returns, 
and no pains Avill be spared to render our records of the past 
more complete than they are at present. 
The statistics published annually by the Ecgistrar General, 
and the information kindly supplied by the Collector of Ciustoms 
and the owners and managers of collieries, and of some of our 
copper and tin mines, have been of the greatest assistance in 
the preparation of the following statement, which shows the 
total value of the several minerals raised to the end of 1871, and 
also in the preparation of the other statements submitted. 
rC s. d. 
Gold, 
total value . . . 
... 30,530,240 
10 
6 
Coal, 
do. 
0,055,328 
0 
0 
Tin, 
do. 
800,401 
0 
0 
Copper 
, do. 
807,476 
0 
0 
Shale, 
do. 
201,414 
0 
0 
Silver, 
do. 
77,216 
0 
0 
Iron, 
do. 
15,434 
0 
0 
Antimony, do. 
897 
0 
0 
£39,220,472 10 6 
