Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/498

 482 COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION OF afforded by the mines of the Indian Archipelago, it is impossible, from the nature of the subject, to state any thing better than probable conjecture. In attempting to furnish materials to form such an estimate, some striking facts will be adduced which will enable us to estimate it at a very high amount. Mr Marsden has estimated the whole export of the south-west coast of Sumatra at 14,100oz. j and conjectures that that of the north-east may be equal to it. Hamilton, a century ago, estimates the whole gold of Achin at 1000 lbs. This makes the whole export of gold dust of that island 40,800 oz., which, at 21 carats, and five per cent, for extraneous substances, makes the quantity of pure gold 33,915 oz. The great export, however, is from Borneo. * The annual produce of the great mines of Mon- tradak, in the territory of Sambas, reckoning the produce of each labourer of 6000 at 18y^ oz., is 88,362 oz. of pure gold. The whole imports of gold at the port of Calcutta, from the different countries of the Indian Archipelago, on the average of nine years, was 16,244 oz. of pure gold, but in particular years it exceeded 26',000 oz. The fol- lowing table will shew the real state of the imports at that place. tiies producing gold, there are 200,000 Chinese, and tli;it, on an average, each remits to China 172 grains in gold, which vould make the whole sent to China, considering all the gold as equal in aluc to that of Montradak, 71,666^ oz.
 * It has been estimated that in Borneo, in or near the coun-