Kilogrammes, £ Stei 1851-55 199,888 47,815,400 1856-60, 201,760 98,144,900 1861-66 185,057 25,816,300 1868-70 195,026 27,206,900 1871-75 173,904 24,260,300 1876-80 172,414 24,059,200 1881-85 149,137 20,804,900
The report says that though these figures do not pretend to absolute accuracy they are in substantial agreement with those compiled by other authorities, and that the actual quantities given by the different authorities }do not always coincide, but the result, so far as it establishes a propor-
{tis somewhat refreshing to find that tionate diminution of supply, is prac-in the pursuit of such knowledge he has tically the same in all cases. We may to suffer very similar woes. "If a take it for granted that the figures in Chinaman happens to walk along the the above table are sufficiently accurate; street the crowd regards him as a they give the sums produced by min-curiosity and presses round, like a swarm ing but do not take into account the of bees or ants, to stare at him. The gold which having been hoarded has women and children are the worst, been brought back into the service of pointing and jeering at him, struck by the world. Sometimes these amounts the strange fashion of his clothes, and, have been very considerable; for instance, still more by his long pendent queue." a large quantity of gold was set. free If the unhappy traveller is wearing a in France after the termination of the white cloak he excites small boys to war with Germany, and the same thing "rude laughter, for they say that he has occurred in Holland a few years ago, come out by mistake in his night shirt." while the high price which the metal With all these disabilities our author has reached has induced Chinese deserves the highest praise for the holders to realise. Probably there has assiduity he has shown in collecting his been a gradual setting free of gold in the facts, which seem to embrace almost other parts of the world, which though everything, descending, indeed, some-not to an extent which attracted times to untranslateably low strata. attention at any time, would ultimately His remarks are not arranged on any tell on the reserves or stocks of gold,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.