fKe fe'ötcH/ffl fgfteef ti^S. 'Gold ïs-fbaad in-fëyeral |^#Fta ÿ and-per-
h'apiè japkff ffiay in thisrefpeâ: deleft the; pate with the riéh«f| eeuntry
iii ' the Wö'rld : but in order ;tbatjtbiV métal mây not l-gfë-ifrf v-akiey by
becoming too plentiful, it is prohibited to dig more than a certain
ftatëd quantity j not 'tó mefttirih that no jnétahio miné} of any kind,
whatever^ ësià’ be opened and wrought without 'the emperdr s exprëfs
pefitflffioh. * When this permiffion is obtained two thirds ofthe-produëé
afè tîie pbrtion of the ëthpëror, and the proprietor of th.e land* reëeivés
nhe third for his éxpénëeài Gold is found in feéll qhandtfes:]u ,'thé
faöÜ ; blit the chief part is extra&ed from eupreoüspyriteè, diflolvèd by
brimftone, The fineft gold, together with the richeft gold mine;-“ Ï was
tbtâ^ ârë fbhhd on the largeft of the Nijpoïï iflàilds nèàf Sadö; -The
next in quality tb this is that'Which is found id Surutig& 'BglicRTs t'héfe-
plàces^ iins Mown for â certainty that feveral rich gold mines are to
foiirid in. Satfuma ; as Iikewife iii YfikUngd;- and in tfré ifland ëf
Amakufâ. It is died for thé hsïbt, gilding; knd ëmbfMdérjr; But is not
carried out of the country .
, “ Silver mull formerly have been fotlrtd in miièh gfeàfëï piéiitÿ- tHân
at prefent, as . à large quantity of it was then fexpbftéd jBb'ÂJ tMs
country. The Japàriëfê cönfi'der it às being more rare 'tÏÏah' gold,
although thé* latter 'metal j® dearer. Tnêy noW Kkè^ifê fëcëii^d in
barter a conlidéràble füm bf Dutch Duëatoons fiorh the Dutch company.
it is laid to Be found in the province of Bingo ; add in the mbrb
northerly parts towards Kattaihi, akiwàè informed, Very rich fiïVëf
mines are to be m,et with. Independently of thefe places the tjwo iflkhds
which are called the “Gold and Sliver ifteS, (&inffitmr KinJtpia,) àre
faid to contain a great quantity of both bf thèfe prërious Ihëtàfs. Stiver
is ufed for coining and for plating. -
« Copper is quite common in every part of the empire, and is richly
impregnated with gold, conmtuting the main fóurce or the Wealth Of
many provinces. It was not only formerly exported in aiïiâzing quantities,
but ftill continues to be exported Both by the Dutch and Chine
fe merchants. The fineft and njoft malleable is dug in Surugà,
K r y ï ib f - K # m . - T h e le ft -• fere- i s e fté em ëd - to b e - f k e y m o f tMl
malleahle‘^ f f n y ^ V ^ ® ^ ^ ^ i f ,a^ S ^ ,?ónta^ $reateffi(quan-
tky ot%bidi Agtfeaf’ fi-USnbet of msrkis 'atie to'be found fltt-iSat-
fiftóa, Md df'bthiêVpïaéës/. Of klris metal-are-'bride Mall'pifece^ of
irtifeöffÖf'élièftgëV Ufed' ftfeêwife for -pkringj ft^-tUaklUg^Uterifi#
'of Sowas,' for pete'^kettlcs;-;&c.
m jr0p feems* ‘to be fcateer than any oth,er nietal irf'thisfeountry. It
'|s, found -however in -the province^, of Mimafaka, Bitsjp, and Bifen,
This they' are neither fond'.ttfjimpb^Ug^ nor yet of-p^pbiting it for
falè. -Of. 'it they manttfaéfüfeëfcyiiAtars^ armsy Iqiflioifs,,knives, and
Various other implements of which tHêy'ftaüd in! need.'
f t i i £>f amber I had a prefent -made me-; by my, Friends!:, they call it
Nambu. It was of a dark, as well as,' bf a*' light yellow; G©loür, aüd
lÉéwife' ftreaky. I was told^allb thfcet iMs. found in thi-é.conptry.
“ Brimftone > found in great .abundance in Japar^.efpecially upon
a certain ifland hear Satfuma. | Pit-coal, I .was informed, is likewife to
be rpet with' in the northern provinces.^ Red agate- with- white veins |
I faw feveral times made ufe “'of for the; Buttons, &c. pf tobacco
'poaches, an(j medicine chefta; which agate’ was fnoft' frequently .cut
in the- lhape of a butterfly; or fome other animal.”^ jt
' It may be added from Ksempfer that brafs is very rare, the calamine,
being'brought from Tunquin ; and beautiful, tin is found in thé province
of B u n g o , though perhaps this-may be the white* copper of the
Chinefe. Amber greafe is npw difcharged from the lift .of mineral pro-
ïduëtmns '; hut a reddilh naphtha V fometimes found, and ufed infej
lamps. Neither antimony nor quickfiiver "have been difcovered in -
Japan.
, Thunberg alfo -enumerates afbeftos, porcelain clay, beautiful flelh
coloured fteatite, pumice, and white marble.10; ,; i
There are feveralwarm mineral waters, which the inhabitants ufe for
various difeafes ; particularly thofe of Obamma, and thofe in the mountain
of OmfenA1' The natural curiofities of Japan have been littlë ii>-'
.* iv. 102. • :<*• . **’ iii, 203. ’ ’ Ksesapfer, i. 167.
veftigated