APPENDIX. 527 
IV. _ DOM PEDRO SEGUNDO RAILROAD. 
THE part taken by American engineers in this great undertaking 
induces me to give here a short account of its history. 
The decree conceding to one or more companies the entire or 
partial construction of a railway which, commencing in the munici- 
pality of Rio de Janeiro, should terminate in such points in the 
Provinces of Minas and St. Paulo as should be most advantageous, 
was promulgated in 1852. A company was organized with a capi- 
tal of thirty-eight thousand Contos of reis, or nineteen millions of 
dollars ; the general plan being to construct a trunk line from the 
city of Rio de Janeiro to the River Parahyba, a distance of about 
67 miles from the coast. A contract was made with an English 
engineer, Mr. Edward Price, for the building of the first section of 
this road, extending a distance of 3S miles, from Rio de Janeiro to , 
Belem. For the construction of the second section, which embraced 
the mountain barrier separating the valley of Parahyba from the 
sea-coast, and in which the greatest difficulties were therefore to be 
encountered, it was proposed by Senhor Christiano B. Ottoni, Presi- 
dent of the road, to employ American engineers, and if possible to 
engage the services of men who had actually constructed railways 
across mountain ranges in the United States. To this effect, 
Colonel C. F. M. Garnett was engaged as chief engineer, and came 
to Brazil in 1856, accompanied by Major A. Ellison, as his principal 
assistant. Colonel Garnett remained in the country somewhat more 
than two years, during which time the portion of the road known 
as the second section, and extending from Belem to Parahyba, was 
laid out and its construction commenced, surveys being also made 
of the branches up and down the river, constituting the third and 
fourth sections. On Colonel Garnett's departure, Major Ellison re- 
mained as chief engineer, having his brother, Mr. "Wm. S. Ellison, 
associated with him in the direction of the road. In July, 1865, at 
