Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/541

 TRADE AND COMMERCE. 505

1,027,217/. in 1865; 1,221,719/. in 18GG; 1,083,475/. in 1867; 1,402,4:58/. in 1868; and 1,541,581/. in 1869. By far the most important article, of British imports into Brazil is manufactured cotton, the value of which was 3,932,181/. in 1864; 2,834,069/. in 1865; 4,219,468/. in 1866 ; 3,016,613/. in 1867 ; 2,831,064/. in 1868; and 4,109,757/. in 1869. It will be seen that the value of British cotton manufactures exported to Brazil in the year 1869 almost exactly covered that of the raw cotton imported during the same period into the United Kingdom. Wrought and unwrought iron, of the value of 271,162/.; linens, of the value of 359,696/.; and woollen manufactures, of the value of 599,012/. in 1869, form the other chief articles of British imports into Brazil.

The empire possesses six lines of railways of a total length ot 410 miles, open for traffic; and 5 telegraphic lines of 1,030 miles, belonging to the state, besides those of the railways. The six rail- way lines are, the Pedro Segundo, 138 miles; the San Paulo, 85 ; the Bahia, 75 ; the Pernambuco, 76; the Cantagallo, 21 ; and the Maud, 15 miles. The gross receipts of all the railways for the year 1869 were 680,000/., and the expenses exactly one-half, leaving a net profit of 340,000/., equal to 850/. per mile. The increase of income in 1869 was 33 per cent, over the previous year, although only 10 miles of new line had been opened. The number of pas- sengers carried in 1869 was 1,158,000, showing an increase of 10 per cent., while the goods traffic was 375,000 tons, or an increase of 74/ per cent, over the previous year.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of Brazil, and the British equivalents, are : —

Monet. The Milrcis of 1,000 Reis. Approximate value, 2s.

The standard of value is the gold Octavo, of 22 carats, equal to 4 Milreis. English sovereigns are legal tender to the amount of 8,890 Eeis since the year 1857. Gold and silver coins, as before mentioned, have almost disappeared in recent years in Brazil, and the only circulating medium is an inconvertible paper currency consisting of treasury notes of a milreis and upwards, depreciated in value, together with copper and bronze coins.

"Weights and Measures. The French metric system, which is to be compulsory in 1872, has been adopted since 1862, and is actually used in official departments and in the customs tariff of March, 1869. Notwith-