PRODUCTION OF GOLD. The supply of gold in ancient times was derived mostly from surface deposits of sands and gravels which yielded their values by simple processes of washing. Gold was thus mined at a very early period in India, Central Asia, the southern Urals, and in the region bordering the eastern Mediterranean. With the progress in metallurgical knowledge at tention was directed to the exploitation of aurif erous veins, a branch of the industry which seems to have attained to some importance before the opening of the Christian Era. Ancient work ings of this character, ascribed to the Egyptians, have been found in the mountains of Nubia; and Dr. Karl Peters has described recently extensive mines in the interior of South Africa, not far from the gold-fields of Rhodesia—a locality be lieved by Dr. Peters to be the Ophir of the Israelites. The Romans operated mines in Hun gary, Spain, and Great Britain at various periods. During the Middle Ages the mining in dustry seems to have made little progress. It is estimated that the total stock of gold in Europe when America was discovered did not exceed $225,000,000. From this time on, however, there has been a gradual though not uninterrupted in crease in production, as may be seen from the following table: and the western or Cordilleran region. Gold has been found at numerous localities on the eastern slope of the Appalachians, and the mountain system might be said to be gold-bearing These statistics have been compiled by the late Adolf Soetbeer and by the United States Mint from the most authoritative sources. The total
output for the entire period of 408 years is equivalent at the coinage value of $20.67 per ounce to 487,031,000 troy ounces, or approxi mately to 16,200 short tons. The production since 1850 has exceeded that of the preceding three and a half centuries. Along with the dis covery of new gold-fields have come improved processes for treating low-grade and rebellious ores, such as the cyanide and chlorination proc esses, and a more systematic adaptation of mining and metallurgical establishments to the varying natural conditions.
The important gold-producing countries at the present time are the United States, the Trans vaal Colony, Australia, Canada, and Russia. In 1898 their combined output was about 87 per cent. of the world's total, and the proportion would now be even larger had not the Boer War given a great check to mining operations in South Africa, bringing about a decrease in the total production of the world from $307,168,800 in 1899 to $255,634,500 in 1000. The distribution of the production in 1000 by countries is shown in the table following, compiled by the United States Mint.