pital spent on the Rio Grande line and a branch
to Caldas at 4,300,000 milreis gold and 1,853,857.750 milreis paper as
guarantee of the interest of 6 per cent conceded by the National
Treasury.

In the year 1900 the value of interests received amounted to
3,190,520.418 milreis in paper, and 1,963,787.300 milreis in gold, out of
which 544,787.300 milreis were in debenture bonds. On the same date the
value of interests repaid to the National Treasury amounted to
1,606,578.581 milreis in paper currency.

The federalized lines of the Company were: from Riberao Preto to Rio
Grande (concession of 1883); from Rio Grande to Araguary (concession of
1890); with a total extension of 472 kil., and a branch line from
Cascavel to Poco de Caldas, 77 kil., the last 17 kil. of which were in
the Province of Minas Geraes. The extension from Rio Grande to Araguary,
282 kil., was also situated in the Province of Minas Geraes.

Having dodged the expectant crowd at the station unnoticed, I did not go
with the Traffic Superintendent, Mr. Vicente Bittencourt, into the
luxurious special car as the train was steaming out of the Riberao Preto
station, but preferred to travel in front of the engine so as to get a
full view of the beautiful scenery along the line. We went at a good
speed over gentle curves rounding hill-sides, the grass of which bent
under a light breeze. Here and there stood a minute white cottage--almost
toy-like--where coffee gatherers lived. On the left we had a grandiose
undulating region--what the Americans would call "rolling
country"--combed into thousands of parallel lines of coffee trees,
interrupted at intervals by extensive stretches of light green grazing
land. Only now and then, as the engine puffed and throbbed under me, did
I notice a rectangle of dried brownish yellow, where the farmers had
grown their Indian corn. These patches were a great contrast to the
interminable mass of rich dark green of the coffee trees and the light
green of the prairies.

Near these patches--prominently noticeable in the landscape because so
scarce--one invariably saw groups of low whitewashed or red-painted
houses, mere humble sheds. Where the land was not yet under
cultivation--quite a lot of it--low scrub and stunted trees far apart
dotted the landscape.

On nearing villages, as the express dashed through, goats stampeded in
all directions: sleepy women and men looked at the train half dazed as it
went by, and children, with qui