COMMUNICATIONS OF COLOMBIA. 



215 



abundant for commercial dealings, and has to be supplemented by paper money, 

 limited by an Act of 1887 to 12,000,000 pesos. 



Little development has taken place in the means of facilitating communications 

 except as regards navigation. As early as 1825 steamers were already plying 

 on the Magdalena ; but this first attempt ended in failure, and no regular service 

 was established till 1847. In 1890 as many as twenty-five steamers were plying 



Fig. 84. — Communications of Colombia. 

 Scale 1 : 16,000,000. 



West or breenwicn 



Railways. 



Regular lines of steamers . 

 — ^— ^— — 310 Miles. 



Navigable rivers. 



between Barranquilla and the rapids, the ascent averaging eight, and the descent 

 from three to four days. Steam has also penetrated into the upper reaches of the 

 main artery, as well as into the Cauca, both above and below the dangerous 

 section of that river traversing the province of Antioquia. Steamers are now 

 also navigating the Atrato, the San Juan, the Patia, as well as the numerous 

 affluents of these rivers and of the Magdalena. Moreover, a contract was signed 

 in 1890 with a steamship compan}^ which undertakes to place two boats on the 



