BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

485

Name of railway

Places connected

English miles

Government guarantee

Amount

Term

of years

Rate of

intrst.

Western Buenos Ayres .

Northern Buenos Ayres

Southern Buenos Ayres

Buenos Ayres & Euse-

vada Central Argentine Eastern Argentine

Buenos Ayres and Mer- cedes ....

Buenos Ayres and San

Fernando . Buenos Ayres and Chas-

comas .... Buenos Ayres and Euse-

vada .... Rosario and Cordova Concordia and Mercedes .

62A

17

75

30

247 200

&

150,000 700,000

6,400 per mile 13,353 per mile

20 40

40 40

Per

cent.

7 7

7 7

The railway lines open for traffic in September 1870 were of a length of 458 English miles, while 60 miles more were under con- struction at the same date, 210 more miles were contracted for. and -100 miles were in course of being surveyed. A loan of 0,000,000/., granted by the National Congress in October 1870, was to be devoted mainly for completing the Central Argentine Railway, notably by the construction of a line from Cordova to Tucuman.

At the end of September 1870, there were 836 miles of telegraph lines in operation, and upwards of 1,000 miles in course of con- struction.

Nearly the whole of the capital for the construction of the lines already opened was subscribed in England.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of the Argentine Confederation, and the British equivalents, are as follows : —

Monet.

The Dollar (' hard dollar') Average rate of exchange, 4s. ,, Piastre . . . „ „ „ 116 to 1/. sterling.

Weights and Measures.

The Quintal = 101-40 lbs. avoirdupois.

„ Arroba ......= 25 - 35 ,, „

„ Fancga = 1|. imperial bushel.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning the Argentine Confederation.

1. Official Publications. Memoria del Ministerio del interior de la Eepubliea Arjentina presentada al

Congreso nacional de 1870. 4. Buenos Aires, 1870.