The washings of the Russian streams first aroused public attention from the languor into which the question of gold-working had fallen. The deposits of the Oural, where the first discoveries were made, never gave any extraordinary results; the workings appeared almost impracticable above the 60th degree of latitude, and although begun on a great scale above half a century ago, they have remained almost stationary for the last fifteen years; the annual returns, divided about equally between the government and private individuals, scarcely exceeded [56]5,000 kilogrammes. The Altai gold district was in a very different position; in spite of the rigour of an inhospitable climate, and the difficulties experienced from any work of labour with a scanty population, the development of produce was extremely rapid. Begun in 1828, the result, after the first eight years, was [57]1,722 kilogrammes, but from that time it increased in a geometrical proportion; it rose to [58]4,000 kilogrammes in 1840, to [59]10,000 in 1842, and exceeded [60]20,000 in 1847. The year 1847 appears to have been the culminating point of the position of gold in Russia. The “_Administration des Mines_” report a produce of [61]1744 pouds, or [62]28,521 kilogrammes, as the combined working of the Oural and Altai; admitting that one-fifth of the produce escaped the government tax, the result of the gold produce of 1847, would be at least [63]110,000,000 francs. From that time the decrease has been continuous. The official reports of 1848, give the figures at 1,726 pouds, or [64]28,252 kilogrammes; 1592 pouds, or [65]26,077 kilogrammes in 1849; 1485 pouds, or [66]124,324 kilogrammes in 1850; and 1,432 pouds, or [67]78,000,000 francs in 1851. It is to be observed that the reduction refers exclusively to Siberia, east and west; not only has the activity of the workings in the Oural been undiminished, but it has slightly increased: the produce of 1849 was 342 pouds, being [68]244 kilogrammes more than in 1845.