Fiscal, generally Brazilians resident in Recife, assisted occasionally by the Engineer to the Province, Mr. Martineau, and subject to periodical inspection by the Consulting Engineer to the Imperial Government, Mr. C. B. Lane (M. Inst. C.E.). It would be unreasonable to expect, that public works, like railways, could be carried on without giving rise to differences of opinion between Engineers representing interests sometimes at variance; yet it is a bare act of justice to state, that the Government Engineers have performed their duty with a fairness worthy of the liberal Government they represent.

The character of the country traversed by the first portion of the Recife and São Francisco Railway, from Recife to the River Una, presents a great uniformity in its physical features. It consists of a succession of narrow valleys, with hills from 100 feet to 150 feet in height, the sides being very thickly wooded, composed almost without exception of rock of a granitic character, varying from a state of perfect decomposition to its natural hardness, the proportion of soft ground to hard rock being at least 10 to 1. It was decided, by the Concession, that the curves should not be sharper than 20 chains radius, or the gradients steeper than 1 in 80, nor longer, at that inclination, than 2 miles. The character of the country may be gathered from this, that in no case has the specified gradient approached the limited length, and in two cases only has it exceeded 1 mile in length.

One tunnel only has been required, and that under 500 feet in length. A short tunnel like this for a single line, through easy ground, and with very inexpensive, unornamental fronts, would require no particular description, were it not that its position rendered it desirable to effect a communication through it, for the conveyance of materials to the upper portion of the works. When, therefore, the small trial heading had shown that the ground was favourable, as the materials for the permanent tunnel were not at hand, and there was plenty of timber on the ground adjoining, it was decided to enlarge the heading sufficiently to take an engine through, minus the chimney. This was effected without difficulty, and a constant stream of materials passed through, during meal times, without interfering with the work. With the like objects, of keeping up the supply of materials and of not delaying the tunnel, the mode of execution was varied to the following extent; as soon as the end lengths had been completed in the usual manner, a surplus stock of materials was sent through so as to last for a few days; the road was then broken up, the invert was built throughout, and the road was re-laid; after which the tunnel and the supply of materials went on without interfering one with another. The size of the large heading was 9 feet 6 inches wide at the bottom, 8 feet wide at the top, and 10 feet high. The invert and

arch of the tunnel were of brickwork, with side walls of rubble masonry, and the cost was 13s. 6d. per yard for labour only.

The earthworks of the heaviest 20 miles have amounted to about 800,000 cubic yards, or 40,000 cubic yards per mile; which is about double the other parts of the line. The highest embankment and the deepest cutting have been about 40 feet. The dimensions usually adopted are, for cuttings a width at the formation level of 20 feet, which includes a 2-feet drain on each side, the slopes varying according to the ground. In rock cuttings the width is reduced to 10 feet, with a drain down the centre. The width of the embankments at the formation level is 16 feet, with slopes of about 1 to 1. The formation surface is trimmed 6 inches lower on the outside than in the centre, and is kept 18 inches above the level of the highest known floods. This gives, usually, a preponderance to the quantities in the embankments, as most of the valleys are subject to floods. The balance of quantities has been further disturbed by its having frequently been found preferable to make up the shallow banks in part from side cutting, rather than from a long lead,' and then to complete them to the full dimensions, after the rails were laid. It is necessary to bear this in mind, or the section, however carefully taken, will not represent the quantities actually to be executed.

There are eight principal bridges, all of iron, in the length of about 75 miles. They vary in height from 15 feet to 25 feet, and are of the following spans :-No. 1 has five 60 feet spans, No. 2 six 60 feet spans, No. 3 three 60 feet spans, No. 4 two 60 feet spans, No. 5 one 80 feet span and one 50 feet span, No. 6 one 80 feet span, No. 7 two 60 feet spans, and No. 8 two 90 feet spans.

The smaller streams are carried under the railway by open culverts where practicable, small iron girders being used to carry the railway across them, when their spans exceed 4 feet. Where this mode has not been possible, the usual form of brick culvert has been adopted.

The fencing found to answer best is a ditch and bank, the latter being planted at the proper season with the native thorn. This fencing serves its purpose very well; but the real difficulty is to keep people from trespassing along the line, which not only the people of the country, but those in subordinate authority, think they have a perfect right to do.

The permanent way, for the first and second divisions, consists of a double-headed rail, weighing 80 lbs. per yard, with creosoted larch cross-sleepers laid at intervals of 3 feet, on the average. The rail is fixed in cast-iron chairs, weighing 24 lbs. each, the joint chair being 39 lbs. weight. Each chair is fixed to the sleeper by two spikes ths of an inch diameter. The rails were at first laid without fish plates, but these have since been added, and the weight of the rails, on the remaining portion of the line, has been reduced

to 72 lbs. to the yard. About 10 miles of the permanent way have been laid, as an experiment, with Greaves' 'pot' sleepers. They have answered very well generally, but in a wet bottom, or on high embankments, the line, so constructed, does not remain in such a good condition as when cross-sleepers are used. An experiment is being tried with sleepers of native timber, of which there are in the woods adjoining the line nearly a dozen different kinds, that are understood to be sufficiently durable for the purpose. These are Sapucaia de Peilão, Paó d'Arco, Aroeira, Coracão de Negro, Maria Preta, Sedro, Amarella, Paó Ferro, Emberiba, Murici, and Visgeira. The price at which these can be delivered is one-third that of creosoted sleepers. The only question is whether such caution can be exercised in the selection of the timber as shall insure its being of the right sort. They possess this advantage, that when the chair is once well spiked to them it becomes a matter of great difficulty, in fact almost an impossibility, to draw the spikes. There have been instances of failure in the creosoted sleepers sent out from England, but they have stood much better than the compressed keys, which have had to be entirely replaced. There are several kinds of native timber available for this purpose. Those now being used are made of wood called 'Oiticica,' or of 'Sicupira.' They are steeped in creosote for about three months, there being at present no means of putting them under pressure. The ballast for the whole of the first division, or 20 miles of the line, is composed exclusively of sand. For about 9 miles of this distance the line passes through a series of small sand hills. On the second division the ballast is composed partly of decomposed granite, 'topped' with the sand from the first division; but the upper part of this division, and the whole of the third and fourth divisions, are ballasted with a coarse sand found on the adjoining river banks.

The stations and line arrangements are of the simplest description. The station at Recife is at present a temporary one, on the understanding that the line, which now terminates at the suburb of Cinco Pontas, will be advanced to a more central situation in the city. The intermediate stations each consist of a booking-office 12 feet square, and a passengers' waiting-room of the same size, with a porch between them. These stations, twelve in number, are provided with sidings only; but there are three larger stations where goods sheds are provided, and two have running sheds for the engines. There is not the slightest attempt at ornament in any of the buildings, which have been executed in the simplest way, with the best materials, and with a view to the extension of the accommodation as the traffic increases.

The locomotive engines, carriages, and part of the goods waggons were manufactured in England; the engines by Messrs. Robert Stephenson and Co., the passenger carriages by Messrs. Wright & Co., and the goods waggons by Messrs. Brown, Marshall, and Co.

The engines have done, and are doing, their work in that first-rate style for which Messrs. Robert Stephenson and Co. are celebrated. The passenger carriages are from the designs of Mr. Edward de Mornay, the original Concessionaire of the line, whose ideas have been ably carried out by Messrs. Wright & Co. They have succeeded in building a carriage reputed to be one of the best for tropical climates. It has one peculiarity, however; the projection of the double roof gives a total width of 12 feet, and necessitates a middle track, or space between the rails, of 7 feet 6 inches, instead of the ordinary width of 6 feet. The goods waggons generally have been made in Brazil, and for this purpose, as well as for the ordinary uses of the line, the Company established workshops at Barbalho, near the upper end of the first division.

It was originally proposed that the engine-shed and repairing shops should be built on waterside property, adjoining the harbour of Recife; but about the time they were to have been commenced, there occurred an outbreak of yellow fever, which carried off several of the English foremen and mechanics, and frightened away so many others, that it was decided to establish the locomotive depôt at Barbalho, about twenty miles up the line, as this had the reputation of being a much healthier place. The general arrangement of the workshops and men's quarters is that of a hollow square, but only such portions were executed as were required from time to time. On one side, abutting on the line, are the shops and running shed;-on the second side are the married men's cottages; at the back are the single men's quarters; and on the further side, on a mound overlooking the whole, is the locomotive superintendent's house and offices. The workshops cover a space of 180 feet by 160 feet, and consist of one central space of 30 feet with a traversing frame running through the centre of the shops, by which engines, or carriages, can be brought in from the line, and be placed in either of the side stalls, which are all 20 feet wide. The roof, of which the tie-beam is 15 feet from the rails, is supported internally by pillars of native timber, and externally by brick piers 3 feet by 2 feet at the sides, and the end finished under each principal with arches. The spaces on each side of the traversing frame are again divided into four nearly equal areas. One of these serves as a

general fitting and repairing shop for engines; and opposite this, on the other side of the traverse, are the forges, lathes, iron planing machine, &c., whilst the space devoted to waggon building and carriage repairs is situated opposite to the saw benches, wood planing and morticing machines. In a detached building adjoining the running shed, is a small foundry, capable of producing all the ordinary small castings of iron, or brass, usually required for rolling stock and repairs. The following is the list of a tools fixed in the different shops :-25 H.P. engine and boiler; wheel

turning lathe; lathe with 17-inch centres; ditto with 8-inch centres; screw cutting lathe with 10-inch centres; screwing, slotting, planing, and vertical drilling machines; 6 fan blasts for smiths' hearths, and 2 ditto for the foundry; 6 smiths' hearths; crane; 2 double-throw pumps; with the necessary shafting, pulleys, drums, &c. In the wood machinery shop are the following: planing, tenoning, morticing, rebating and drilling machines; 3 circular saw benches, and a self-acting saw bench; vertical saw sweep; turning lathe; grindstone, circular oil stone, with shafting, drums, pulleys, &c. This establishment has at present proved amply sufficient for the purposes of the line.

The first concession from the Brazilian Government was dated June 1852; the last in December 1855. The actual work was commenced in May 1856. The first division of about 20 miles was opened in February 1858; the second on the 16th December 1860; the third and part of the fourth on the 26th May 1862; and the whole of the first section to the River Una was finally opened in November 1862.

The best evidence that the working arrangements have been well carried out is, that during the five years the line has been in operation there has not been an accident to a passenger. The want of any railway experience on the part of the officials connected with the traffic, who, excepting the traffic-manager, are all natives, threw a much greater amount of duty and responsibility on the locomotive superintendent and the engine-drivers than is usual in this country. The line was opened as a single way without a station-master, or a native official who could give a correct signal, so that the engine-drivers were obliged to judge for themselves; each acted every journey under written instructions from the locomotive superintendent, in whom was vested the sole authority to regulate the motions of the trains. The same plan was adopted on parts of the line under construction, and has been attended with perfect success, even when five engines have been at work at the same time on a length of 20 miles of single line.

The maintenance of the permanent way has been carried on by native labourers,-a gang of six of whom, under a Brazilian, or a Portuguese ganger, takes charge of three-quarters of a league, or nearly three English miles; the whole being under the inspection of English foremen, each of whom takes a district of about 20 miles.

The labour question is one of the most vital importance to the future of Brazil; for upon it will depend not alone the conditions on which Public Works can be executed, but however favourably they may be carried out, their ultimate success is contingent on the extension of trade and agriculture, which again are absolutely dependent on the supply of the requisite amount of labour Agri