the several districts, as made to the Chief
Commissioner at Halifax. A few words of explanation as to the definite
and statistical character of these returns may be of value here, in
order to prevent or to correct much misconception and want of knowledge
with regard to their absolute reliability.

In the first place, then, every miner, or the agent or chief
superintendent of each mine, is required by law to make a quarterly
return of the amount of days' labor expended at his mine, the number of
tons of quartz raised and crushed, and the quantity of gold obtained
from the whole,--neglecting to do which, he forfeits his entire claim,
and the Gold-Commissioner is then empowered to grant it to another
purchaser.

These returns are therefore made with the utmost regularity and with the
greatest care. But as the royalty of three per cent. to the Government
is exacted on the amount of this return, whatever it may be, it is
obvious that there exists no motive on the part of the miner to
exaggerate the amount in making his statement. We may be as sure that
his exhibit of the gold admitted to have been extracted by him does not,
at any rate, _exceed_ the amount obtained, as that the invoices of
importations entered at the Custom-House in Boston do not overstate the
value of the goods to which they refer. The practice is generally
suspected, at least, to tend in quite the opposite direction.

As the next step for ascertaining the yield of the mines, there comes in
a form of scrutiny which it would be still more difficult to evade. All
owners of quartz-mills are also required to render official returns
under oath, and in a form minutely prescribed by the Provincial law, of
all quartz crushed by them during the month, stating particularly from
what mine it was raised, for whose account it has been crushed, and what
was the exact quantity in ounces, pennyweights, and grains. And this is
designed also as a check on the miner, as the two statements, if
correct, will be found, of course, to balance each other.

The Chief Gold-Commissioner resides in Halifax, and has his deputy in
each gold-district, whose duty it is, as a sworn officer of the
Government, to see that the provisions of the law are carried out; and
the returns, as collected, are duly made by him each month, accompanied
by a general report on the industrial condition of the district
represented. It is from these returns, thus collected, that the
Gold-Commissioner-in-Ch