Victorian Gold Returns for 1878.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3108, 3 February 1879, Page 3

Victorian Gold Returns for 1878.

(FBOM THB AUSTRALASIAN.)

According to our usual custom soon after the commencement of each year of publishing the estimated yield of gold during the year immediately preceding, we now give the yield for 1878. The estimate is arrived at by taking the amount of gold exported in 1878, the amount received at the Mint in the same year, and the difference between the amounts held by the banks on the 31st December, 1877, and the corresponding date of 1878, and it may be considered substantially oorrect. Last year when stating the yield of gold for 1877, we had to notice a continuation of the rapid decrease in yields which had taken place for several years previously, the decrease in the yields of 1877 as compared with 1876 being no lets than 144,4210z5., but this year the figures are more satisfactory, the decrease being only ,39,046038. The totals for 1878 are 753,7930z5, and for 1877, 792,8390z5. The decrease, too, for 1878 appears to correspond pretty nearly with the decrease in the number of miners. We have not been able* to ascertain from the Mining departnw^t, on account of the official returns not being yet complete, what was the mean estimated number of miners employed during 1878, or the estimated number on the 31st December last, but judging from the estimates published by the department for the first three quarters of the year, the mean number may be taken to be about 37,400, which would: give a decrease of miners in 1878 as compared with 1877 of about 1,500. • The Customs returns of the amount of gold exported during the years 1877 and 1878 respectively give the following information.?'—.'; .

The amount of specie exported during 1878 was £2,399,341, or a total value, with the gold exported, of £3,894,790. The return from the Mint showing the amount of gold received there during the years 1877 and 1878 is as follows:—

The amount of coin issued to the public in 1878 was 557,538 670z. The amount of gold in Hand at the commencement of that year was 6,770'560z., and at the close 25,925.7102., included in the latter being 5,975.520z. of old light British coin. The quantity of gold held by the various banks of the colony on the 31st December of last year was 49,6340z., as against 64,6940z. held by them on the 31st December, 1877. By adding the amounts itated together—Viz., Victorian gold exported (346,2590z.), Victorian gold received at Mint (422,5940z.), and balance held by banks (49,6340z.)—a total of 818,4870z. is obtained, from which has to be deducted 64,6940z. held by the banks at the termination of 1877, and therefore included in the exporter:Miht_rfltarnarof 1878, leaving'7s3,793oz. as the total yield of 1878, against 792,8390z. for 1877, or a decrease of 39,046bz. The following table, gives the. average number of miners employed during the past 13 years and the amounts of gold obtained by them, but, as already stated, the number of miners given for 1878 is only an approximate estimate:—

The following return shows the yield of gold for the years 1868 to 1877 inclusive, as estimated by the Mining department :—

ear. Amount. ralu». L 87- ■■••■' '- ' • Vititorian gold „ Foreign gold „ oz. dwt. 508,693 2 13,282 18 £ 2,037,027 63,085 ' Total „ '.; „,. 621,976 0 2,090,112 LB7BVictorian gold ... Foreign gold " „ 546,259 10 27,423 6 1,385,769 198,680 Total .. 373,682 15| 1,495,449 ■

Year. Linounl 1877— Victorian gold Foreign gold .. ozs. 290,919-84 87,390-49 378,310-33 Total 1878- ..I'.;' : ;.. • Victorian gold Foreign gold .. Total V.. < 422,594-20 147,337-97 569^93217

Tear. Number of Miners. Yield of Gold. 1868 .. .. 1867 .. „ 186S .. .. 1869 „ .. 1870 „ „ 1871 1872 « .. 187* --«,. •*. 1874 .; ■ „ 1875 „ „ 1876 '„ L 1877 .. .. 1878 .. .. 73,749 65,857 63,181 68,037 60,367 58,101 54,651 62,644 46,800 : 42,800 • 41,564 . 38,882 37,400 Oz. 1,536,581 1,493,831 1,474,187 1,367,903 1,281,841 1,303.379 1,317,102 1,249,407 1,102,614 1,058,823 037,280 792,839 753,793

Year. Alluvial Total. 1868.. ; fc 1869.. 1870.. 1871.. 1872.. „ 1873.. 1874.. .. 1875.. 1876.. 1877.. 02. 1,087,502 931,082 718,729 698,100 639,651 604,250 . 433,288 426,611 357,012 286,343 Oz. 597,416 610,674 685,575 670,752 691,826 I 666,147 664,860 641,80* 606,005 613,671 Oz. 1,684,919 1,644,757 1,304,805 1,368,942 1,331,377 1,170,397 1,079,644 1,068,418 963,017 799,919