Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/503

 ARTICLES OF EXPORTATIOX. 487 The chance of an increased produce from the mines of the Archipelago will depend upon the share of tranquillity which the country enjoys, and the degree of freedom secured to its commerce. Nothing further is requisite, for the ore, from all accounts, exists in inexhaustible abundance. This is most particularly applicable to Borneo ; the im- mense alluvial tracts round the whole circumfer- ence of which every where contain rich deposites of this metal, from whence it necessarily follows^ that the primitive mountains of the interior must contain veins of it. From the abundance of the ore, and the usual fascination of all mining projects, especially those in quest of the precious metals, the search for gold will be the first object to engage the attention of any enterprising and in- dustrious people settled in that country, of what- ever race. Amidst a great deal of anarchy and disorder, mining has of late years been prosecut- ed by the Chinese with surprising spirit. It is not above eight or ten years since consider- able capital and the use of machinery have been ap- plied to it, and in that time there has been a vast increase of produce. Bengal and China are at present the principal markets for the gold of the Indian Islands. The absolute price, it need hardly be noticed, depends on the state of supply and demand. Its relative price with silver on the spot is ascertained with