Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
103 
No one will deny that money spent upon such nn ohjeet is spent in 
one of the best possible -vvaya, whether it be pun'Iy for the extension 
of scientitic knowledge or merely for the exploration and develojuncnt 
of the mineral wealth of the Colony. Perhaps the truest wisdom is to 
keep both ends in view : — the extension of science would make but 
comparatively little progress without the aid of w'calth, and wealth, at 
the present day, cannot bo attained without calling' in the aid of 
science — ihc3’‘ are mutually dependent, and on that account ^VQ cannot 
afibrd to neglect cither of them. 
The exploration and development cf the mineral wealth of a country 
should always be kept a long way in advance of the work of realizing 
and converting such stores into money. 
When we consider the great repositories of iron ores which have 
been already examined in New South Wales, and that we hoar of dis- 
coveries of others, perhaps oquall}" extensive, there appears to he no 
reason why New South Wales, AA'ith proper care and management, 
should not very soon make not only all the iron required for its o-wn 
consumption, but also supply other countries wdiich are not so lavishly 
endowed. 
GEM STONES. 
CoysiDEEiNQ the variety and number of gem stones winch have 
from time to time been found in various parts of this Colony, it is to 
be regretted that no returns can be furnished of the number and 
value of those found. Though they are known to exist in certain 
localities, no attempt is at present made to collect them. I\fr. 
Mask elyuo, the learned mineralogist in charge of the mineralogical 
collection at the British ]VIiiseum, says : — “ Doubtless hundreds of 
diamonds have been washed away to perdition in gold washings, for 
old Pliny's statement, ‘that diamonds aud gold occur togetlier,’ 
holds good down to onr time in every great diamond, if notiii every 
gold country.” Under existing curcumstances, it may ])C‘rhaps 
be questioned whether the miners can make the search for gem 
stones exclusively a profitable employment, but it is highly 
probable that they would be found in many of the auriferous 
drifts now being w'orked if search were made for tliem, and such 
search, if successful, could scarcely fail to be profitable, because 
in the process of gold washing, nearly iho whole of the work is 
done. Por example, where the sluice is used, only in that part of 
the sluice in which the gold Avould be likely to be deposited, 
■would search need to be made, because the specific gravity of 
nearly all the valuable gems is greater than quartz, gravel, &c., 
and as the sand and line gravel deposited in that part of the 
sluice has to be removed for the purpose of separaiing the gold 
from it, but little additional trouble would be involved in saving 
that portion of the sand and gravel for future manipulation in 
search of gems. It would not even be necessary that the 
labours of the miner should he interfered with, as the work 
of searching for gem stones in this refuse could be reserved lor 
