Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1245

 MONEY, WKIGHTS, AND MEASURES

8S0

trade) wliieli entered and cleared the ports of Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira in two years was : —

—

1896

1897

Vessels

Tons

Vessels

Tons

Entered. Cleared.

Total.

5,763 5,703

7,257,632 7,271,986

6,107 6,139

7,910,128 7,896,639

11,466

14,529,618

12,246

15,806,767

Of the vessels entered (1897), 4,119 of 5,507,784 tons ; and of those cleared, 4,827 of 6,282,110 tons had cargoes. In the coasting trade ^897) there entered 4,299 vessels of 1,326,920 tons, and cleared 4,217 vessels of 1,312,940 tons.

The length of railways open for traffic in 1897 was 1,464 miles, of which 507 miles belonged to the State. The number of passengers conveyed in the year was 9,599,117 ; the tonnage of goods, 1,953,742 ; traffic receipts (net), 3,215,379 milreis.

The number of post-offices in the Kingdom in December 1897 was 1,273 ; the number of letters, newspapers, &c., carried was : internal, 51,891,818 ; international, 9,258,335. The number of telegraph offices at the end of 1897 was 425. There were at the same date 4,584 miles of line and 9,475 miles of wire. The number of telegrams (including transit) in the same year was: internal, 1,272,042; international, 1,065,309.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

At the end of 1892 there were 44 banks (including the savings banks), with cash in hand 14,444,413 milreis; bills, 26,731,700 milreis; loans on security, 29,260,333 milreis ; deposits, 32,916,206 milreis ; note circulation, 53,360,014 milreis. On December 28, 1898, the situation of the Bank of Portugal was as follows : — Metallic stock, 13,736,684 milreis.; note circulation, 69,189,307 milreis ; deposits, 1,927,390 milreis ; commercial account, 14,356,452 milreis ; advances on securities, 3,577,944 milreis ; balance against Treasury, 26,294,153 milreis.

On June 30, 1897, the Portuguese Savings Bank had deposits amounting to 2.869,077 milreis.

The gold coinage of Portugal issued since 1854 amounts to the nominal value of 7,950,000 nulreis, and the silver coinage to 26,273,436 milreis. No gold has been coined since 1891.

The Milreis, or 1,000 Ecis is of the value of 4s. od., or about 4 '5 milreis to the £1 sterling. Large sums are expressed in Contos (1,000 milreis of the value of £222 4i-. bd.

Gold coins are 10, 5, 2, and 1 milreis pieces, called the corda, meia corOa, &c. The gold 5 milreis piece weighs 88675 grammes, "916 fine, and conse- quently contains 8 '12854 grammes of fine gold.

Silver coins are 5, 2, 1, and half-testoon (testSo) pieces, or 500, 200, and 50-reis pieces. The 5-testoon piece weighs 12 '5 grammes, '916 fine and there- fore contains ll'4583gi-ammes of fine silver.

Bronze coins are 40, 20, 10, and 5 reis pieces.