Agricultural and Commercial Socjetv. 87 
I estimate that the Essequebo is about two miles 
wide at Bartica. Messrs. BulUvart, the great authority 
on wire rope traction, apparently consider 200 to 500 
yards the best spans for such, and do not reccommend 
it for passenger traffic ; in fact, I do not myself know 
of any aerial passenger line being in existence any- 
where. I believe the limit of span is 1,600 yards at 
present, so the Essequebo could ha,rdly be crossed in 
one span at Bartica. 
I quite agree with Mr. Hill that the first of the 
branch lines should be run to the diamond fields, while 
the main line should be run south to San Joaquim ; 
both of which should touch as far as possible the larger 
tributaries of the adjoining rivers, when, I have no 
doubt, prospectors and w^orkers would find it best to 
take their batteaux and provisions by rail to the nearest 
landing place above, and then run down the river to 
their destination. The first thing to be considered with 
a new railway is : Will it pay ? if so, when ? and if not, 
why should it be made ? Now, in the case before us, I 
think you may take it that the traffic of the main line 
of 350 miles, which would cost about £1,500 for con- 
struction and equipment similar to the existing West 
Coast Railway, may be estimated as follows : — 200 pas- 
sengers per day carried on an average 160 miles, say S5, 
$1,000 ; 100 tons of goods 160 miles say $13, 31,300; 
mails $100=$2,400 ; or £3,000 per week, being £156,000 
per year, and when it is considered that practically all 
the traffic of the interior as well as that to the upper 
portion of the Amazon should pass over this railway, I 
think the estimate is moderate, and that a large traffic 
would very soon be developed in cattle, balata and 
