COLOMBIA. 



129 



over the rivers Snbe, Sanjil, Oiba, Lenguaraca, 

 Togui, and Onzaga, three bridges over the 

 Nare, and one over the Cauca, together with 

 wharves, slips, etc., is estimated at 16,683. 



A Colombian writer, in one of the leading 

 journals of the capital, gave in January, 1873, 

 the following rapid sketch of the improve- 

 ments in internal communication in the differ- 

 ent provinces: "Caiiea expects soon to see 

 completed a railway across its territory; To- 

 lima seeks to realize the navigation by steam 

 of the Upper Magdalena; Bolivar is taken up 

 with her canals ; Magdalena is about putting 

 the most important of her bays into communi- 

 cation with the river which runs through the 

 States of the interior; Antioquia is leveling 

 her mountain-passes ; and Simtander, consid- 

 ered the most industrious of all the States, is 

 constructing a carriage-road to unite with that 

 which leads from Medellin to the Magdalena. 

 Cundinamarca and Boyaca look to the realiza- 

 tion of the Northern Railroad to increase their 

 industry and the value of their productions." 



Thanks to the untiring efforts of Senor Pe- 

 reira Gamba, and his liberal outlay of capital, 

 neither danger nor difficulties are any longer 

 to be apprehended from the rapids of the Mag- 

 dalena near Honda, easy communication hav- 

 ing been opened up between that town and 

 the river port of Pescaderias. 



Under the invigorating influence of railway 

 and steamers, the port of Barranquilla is rapid- 

 ly improving; a new street is opened there 

 every year; and capital invested in real estate 

 gives one per cent, per montli interest. 



Antioquia is also fast progressing, especially 

 in the development of her mining interests, 

 while commerce and agriculture are likewise 

 in a flourishing condition. Banking business 

 is on the increase, and the State bank-notes 

 circulate freely to the amount of $100,000. 



A thirty years' privilege was conceded, in 

 mber, 1872, by the State of Tolima, for 

 the construction of a railway to establish com- 

 munication between the Upper and Lower 

 Mairilalena, and for a suspension-bridge to span 

 the name river. 



The Bolivar Railway profits for the month 

 of October, 1872, amounted to $2,515.80; the 

 goods traffic having been 27,057 packages ex- 

 ported, and 22,800 imported, in eleven steamers 

 and eight schooners. 



Certain disputes concerning the contract of 

 this line were satisfactorily settled, it having 

 been agreed that, the ownership would remain 

 with Messrs. Hoeninpsberg, Wessels & Co., 

 the representatives of the company in Bremen. 



A contract was given to R. A. Jay for the 

 construction of a railway from Lake Paturia 

 to a place in the neighborhood of Bucara- 

 mnnga; and also for another line from that 

 lake to Cneuta. 



A carriage-road is in course of preparation 

 to Sucre ; and a portion from Sucre to Vena- 

 do, 2 1 leagues was opened to the public in 

 May. 



VOL. xin. 9 A 



With the telegraphs along the two railways 

 now running, and that from Bogota to Buena- 

 ventura, completed on December 10, 1873, 

 there were at the end of the year 1,500 miles 

 of wires established ; the submarine cable from 

 Aspinwall to Kingston, Jamaica, would, it was 

 expected, be completed by the end of 1873. 



A circular was issued on May 3d to the 

 shareholders of the West India and Panama 

 Telegraph Company Limited inviting subscrip- 

 tions at par, in shares of 10 each, for the 

 250,000 preference share capital bearing 10 

 per cent, recently authorized, to restore and 

 complete the company's property. The cir- 

 cular called special attention to the facts that 

 the ordinary share capital issued nnd fully 

 paid up is 571,910; that the only debenture 

 capital authorized is 50,000; that the com- 

 pany's system extends altogether to about 1,800 

 miles, and possesses subsidies amounting to 

 18,500 annually ; that the gross earnings on 

 an incomplete system, besides these subven- 

 tions, amounted in 1872 to 27,000, and that 

 large receipts may be anticipated when the 

 connection between Jamaica and Colon is com- 

 pleted. The new issue, besides its preference, 

 will be entitled to participate in all profits on 

 the entire capital above 10 per cent., but may 

 either be paid off at the end of five years at 

 10 per cent, premium, or the holders may con- 

 vert it into ordinary shares at 110 for every 

 100. 



A telegraph-line is to be constructed be- 

 tween Palmira and Popayan at the expense of 

 the Government. 



On the 18th of January, 1873, a severe storm 

 caused damage among the shipping and to the 

 mole of the port of Aspinwall, to the extent 

 of half a million dollars. 



In March last, the relations between Colom- 

 bia and Venezuela were not on a satisfactory 

 footing. Judging from the tenor of a note 

 from Seflor Colnnje, Secretary of Foreign Af- 

 fairs, to the Secretary of State of Santander, 

 it would appear that news of an alarming 

 nature had been received a short time before 

 from Venezuela. Negotiations concerning the 

 boundary question, so long pending between 

 the two republics, had been suspended, Vene- 

 znela having refused to accept the proposal of 

 Colombia to refer the matter to arbitration. 

 Subsequently, Seflor Colunje was instructed to 

 await the decision of the Senate before taking 

 further steps. Meantime, President Guzman 

 Blanco offered to meet Dr. Murillo at the town 

 of Barranqnilla for the purpose of arriving at 

 an amicable solution. The Senate disapproved 

 of the step, and refused to grant permission to 

 the President. It may be here mentioned that, 

 in February, General Manuel Quesada, who 

 not long ago took so active a part in the Cuban 

 revolution, had arrived at Bogotd, charged 

 with a mission to obtain the cooperation of 

 the Colombian Union to deliver Cuba from 

 the dominion of Spain, and had been cordially 

 received in certain circles, while the opposi- 



