RAILWAYS. 269 



ducting on this account certain amounts from their wages. But the 

 wages are not paid ; the men are told by the contractors that the 

 Government has not paid them — the result is long arrears. And 

 at length some of the men, weary of waiting, go away in disgust, 

 and are compelled to sell the wages due to them, at an enormous 

 discount, to the shopkeepers. 



The published returns appear very satisfactory. For instance, 

 in October, 1883, the receipts over the whole line are stated at 

 1,169,903 milreis, and the expenditure at 633,939 milreis ; for 

 November, 1883, receipts 1,054,307 milreis, expenditure 505,076 

 milreis; and for February, '1884, receipts 861,454, expenditure 

 478,053 milreis ; but nothing is said as to the liquidation of, or 

 interest on, the cost of construction. The dividends are, I believe, 

 about five per cent, per annum. 



The Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minus. — This line was opened 

 August 28, 1 88 1, It extends from Sitio on the Estrada de Ferro 

 Dom Pedro II. (364 kilometres from Rio) to the town of Sao 

 Joao del Rey; and the majority of the imports and exports to 

 and from the Para valley and that neighbourhood are conveyed 

 by this railway. The length of the line is 100 kilometres (62^ 

 miles), and the gauge is only 076 metre, or 2 feet 6 inches. It is 

 proposed to extend this road to the navigable waters of the Rio 

 Grande, that flows into the Rio Parana, which goes to Buenos 

 Aires. During thirteen months the receipts on this railway were 

 160,585 milreis, and the expenditure 127,219 milreis. There 

 were 10,454 passengers. 



It is amusing — when the giant American locomotive which 

 draws the cars from Rio de Janeiro steams into the station at 

 Sitio — to see the microscopic engines of this railway, with its 

 train of diminutive carriages waiting on the other side of the 

 platform. 



Estrada de Ferro Ouro Pretana. — This branch line from the 

 Estrada de Ferro Dom Pedro II. near Sahara to Ouro Preto is 

 in course of construction. It will be fifty kilometres (thirty-one 

 miles) in length, with one metre gauge. The engineering diffi- 

 culties to be overcome are enormous, and there will be many 

 tunnels. Owing to the abundant presence of magnetic ore, the 

 compass is rendered useless in the construction of the tunnels. 



