1 miles of road at a total
cost of $47,700,000. The total number of miles has since been increased
to 2,058. The net revenue of the roads was a little over one million
dollars in 1886.

The transportation facilities of West Australia are still far behind
those of her sister colonies. The first line was opened in 1873, and the
total number of miles of road operated in the colony in 1889 was only
496. The government controls nearly all the railroads of the colony.

Of the islands of Australasia, Tasmania and New Zealand are as yet the
only ones that have railroad communication. The former built its first
road in 1870 and had at the end of the year 1890 about 1,900 miles in
operation. New Zealand opened its first railroad between Christchurch
and Lyttleton on December 1, 1863. The development of the system was
slow at first, there being but 25 miles of road in operation in 1870. In
1891 the number of miles of road had increased to 1,916, all but 92
miles being operated by the colonial government. The total amount
expended by the government for railroads is $55,000,000. The net revenue
in 1887 was about 2-1/2 per cent of the amount invested.

In South America railroad building is of comparatively recent date. The
first road was built in 1851, but the line was short and remained the
only one for several years. With thirty million people the South
American states have at present but little more than 16,000 miles of
railroad, a condition which must at least in part be ascribed to the
peculiar conservatism of the Latin race.

The United States of Colombia possesses less than 250 miles of road. Its
first line was the Panama Railroad, from Colon to Aspinwall. It connects
the Pacific with the Atlantic ocean, is 48 miles long and was
constructed in 1855. This, as well as the several other roads of
Colombia, is the property of private companies. A number of new roads
have recently been surveyed.

Venezuela opened in 1866 a road, 56 miles long, from Puerto Caballo to
Palito, which in 1870 was extended to Aroa. A number of other short
roads, aggregating about 350 miles, have since been constructed. The
total extent of railroad in Venezuela was 432 miles in 1889, of which
the greater part was operated by private companies. Several important
lines are in the process of construction, and will connect Caracas with
Carabobo, San Carlos and the port of La Guayra.

The Republic of Ecuador constructed in 1876 a road from Jaguachi to
Pu