APPENDIX. 
439 
of the Government or of whoever may legitimately own them, 
and it is moreover stipulated that in case of being public 
lands, the Government and the enterprise shall have the 
mutual right of obtaining by way of exchange such portion 
of land as it or they may need on the opposite side, the 
former for public works, and the latter for the works of the 
railroad and its accessory ones; but should the lands belong 
to private individuals, then, and for such object, the Govern¬ 
ment and the enterprise shall use the right of expropriation 
of the portion of land which may be required by them on 
the opposite side, at their own cost. 
4. And lastly, it concedes to them in the same way three 
lots of ten leagues square each, of public unoccupied lands, 
with all its natural products situated respectively in the 
departments of Chontales, Matagalpa, and New Segovia, of 
which lands they shall dispose in freehold, except in the case 
of minerals, which they shall enjoy according to the laws on 
the matter binding on the Republic, such lands shall be 
disposed in such a manner that each lot divided into smaller 
ones of one league square shall include as many others 
interposed between them which shall remain in possession of 
the Government. The choice and situation of said lands 
shall be made by mutual consent of both interested parties 
or by the tribunal of arbitrators which shall be designated 
in Article XI. in case of disagreement. The possession of 
said lands shall take place by third parts, the enterprise 
receiving the first when ten miles of railroad at each 
extremity of the route has been constructed, another third 
when half the line is finished, and the last when the works 
of the transit shall be duly completed. 
Article IV. The works of the interoceanic transit must 
be commenced at each of its extremes, within two years, to 
be counted from the final ratification of the present stipula¬ 
tion, it being understood that the through transit shall be 
concluded at the expiration of the term of ten years, the two 
years conceded for the commencement included; and it shall 
be considered as definitely completed when passengers and 
