CIIAP. XXVI.

CHINA GILDING.

283

factures of that commodity, and from their notbeing very much concentrated—for though theyabound most in Staffordshire and Shropshire , thereare large establishments at Worcester , Derby, inYorkshire , and other parts of thejdngdom—it hasbeen difficult to make such particular inquiriesas have been directed to other branches of trade.From the imperfect view we have been enabled totake, and from the opinion we have obtained fromsome of the larger dealers in china ware, we feeldisposed to consider the whole consumption to beabout one hundred ounces weekly, or five thousandtwo hundred ounces annually.

The china manufacturers use only the finegold; some is supplied to them by the refiners ofBirmingham and Sheffield, but the larger partprobably from those of London . It has been statedthat some of the manufactures have bought as muchas twelve or fourteen ounces a week, but it could notbe clearly shown that such was the regular demand,or taking the number of them into calculation theestimate would be much greater than is hereassumed. In this state of great uncertainty, ithas appeared more proper to take the opinionof those most conversant in the trade than toadopt any estimate on imperfect materials. Wehave now arrived at the end of the calculation ofthat portion of refined gold which is applied to allthe purposes of manufacturing, except to that in