Profit and Loss of Goldmining.

Mr Jevons foreshadowed the time when greater experience is attained in quartz mining; when improved machinery is brought into use for the rapid, complete, and cheap extraction of gold; when capital is attracted in great sums to the pursuit and when the search for new auriferous reefs becoming more keen is rewarded by abundant discoveries. He finally drew two conclusions:—"(1) That no great and recurring discoveries of alluvial gold are to be expected, so that the yield of alluvial gold must notably, yet gradually fall off. (2) That the supply of gold from its quartz matrix is subject to entirely different laws, that we at present know no limit to the amount procurable with the aid of capital; and that that amount, whatever it may be, will probably remain constant for a long period of time."

These remarks, written 36 years ago, have almost a prophetic significance, as viewed from our own personal observations and every day experience. Mr Nicol Brown, commenting on the subject, remarks—"At the present time the supply of gold can be drawn, not only from the quartz reefs referred to by Mr Jevons, but from sedimentary rocks, those from which the largest supplies are at present drawn being the Witwatersrand conglomerate. It has, however, taken many years to realise Mr Jevons' forecasts, as the gold industry appears to have been one of the slowest to adopt true scientific methods of working, the neglect of which is so detrimental to any practical undertaking."

Proceeding, he remarks. "That geology in competent hands is the first science for goldmining, and no sure foundation is laid for other sciences to base their work unless the preliminary work of the geologist be well done-Whether a man goes to seek fossil shells or golden sands, the same qualities are required for success, the same intimate knowledge of nature and nature's laws, without which her thrilling secrets cannot be discovered, From the want of this knowledge, the ordinary uninstructed gold seekar always defeats the end he has in view. He works hastily, and by imperfect methods, and never stops to mark the finger posts or compass points, which might guide him to the object of his search. The finding of gold must no longer be left to chance, but should be the result of well designed and well organised efforts, and the basis of that industry, which is now being built up rests on geological surveys made by qualified men. These are now demanded and must be obtained."

Pseudo geologists have been often employed to survey and report on properties. Incapable persons also have been entrusted with the industrial part of the work of mining, milling, and saving the gold. All this blundering result heavy loss. Proper geological survey only of the gold bearing veins, but at enclosing rocks, must now take the of the old prospectors' empirical who order that miners may proceed in gently with their operations, unfortunately many good mines have been demaned by incompetent men."

After referring to and enlarging [unclear: up] the various aspects and conditions [unclear: o] ducive to successful mining, and various valuable geological reports Australia, Montana, and [unclear: Mashonal] Mr Brown odds, "That it will be [unclear: a] from these various reports, how [unclear: vari,] nature had worked in each case, how [unclear: c] fully and cunningly she has hidden her golden treasures in the folds of [unclear: her] ment, and how these treasures can [unclear: c] be found out by a painstaking [unclear: study] the geology or physical structure [unclear: of] the earth. Such raports, had they [unclear: exi] only only a few years ago, would [unclear: be] saved enormous waste of time, [unclear: labor,] lives." He also refers to many [unclear: valu] authorities published on the subject modern mining, and concludes his [unclear: a] portant and valuable paper in [unclear: the] lowing expressive language. "To [unclear: u] tinue the necessary supply of gold [unclear: a] carry on the ever extending [unclear: common] the world, a vast industry of [unclear: the] importance, aided by many [unclear: sci] needed to gather out the infinitely [unclear: e] portions of gold as they exist in [unclear: a] The product in gold of the [unclear: industry] has recently sprung up will afford to the straitened currency of the [unclear: w] and as it can now be procured with [unclear: a] industrial and scientific certainly [unclear: p] dicted by the late Mr Jevons, the [unclear: r] to the world in the near futures will [unclear: be] great." He further remarks" The [unclear: a] vernor and directors of the [unclear: Bank] land may hold the key of the Bank's [unclear: g] but the geologists hold the golden [unclear: n] of knowledge to the earth's store [unclear: h] of the kingly metal, and although [unclear: it] not be counted up like gold in [unclear: the] they, and they "only, can be relied [unclear: on] survey the new goldfields which [unclear: may] be found. If this be done, [unclear: a] potent survivals of mediæval [unclear: o] superstitions, ever ready to [unclear: delu] and again, a too gullible public [unclear: will] finitely die put. Industry [unclear: must] off against industry, [unclear: cur futura] by well directed industry, will [unclear: re] the result of honest men's toil, [unclear: Gold] tained will reach a steady [unclear: vdik] neither become greatly 'appreciated' 'depreciated' as the supply [unclear: wilier] keep pace with the requirements [unclear: im] merce. It will help to keep the [unclear: c] less mills of many different [unclear: indi] continuous motion, without [unclear: inferna] periods of fluctuating trade, [unclear: and] bring benefits to many people in all of the earth."

I have purposely introduced [unclear: these] tracts to illustrate the full force [unclear: and] viction of trained minds on the, [unclear: b] interesting and absorbing topic, [unclear: and] your indulgence for the digression. [unclear: A] referring to a few of