and Beypore line (Beypore being on the western
coast) has suggested a short route for the mails,
which has many arguments in its favour.

The magnitude as well as the difficulty of the
operations of which the above is a more or less
complete statement, may be estimated from the
fact that up to the period of the last official
report, embracing only a part of last year, no
less than 2,597,941 tons of material necessary
for construction, amounting in value to
£13,843,392, have been sent out from this
country to India, in 3292 ships, for the purposes
of the railways. That these enterprises are
considered a good speculation may be gathered
from the fact that, on the 31st of December,
1862, the number of proprietors and debenture
holders in the different lines was 31,420, having
increased by 5260 in the course of the year.
The numbers, in fact, increase in about the same
ratio as the capital. In reference to this part
of the subject, it should be explained to the
reader who happens to know nothing about it,
that five per cent is guaranteed to the
companies by the government, to assist and give
security to their operations. The financial position
as detailed in the report of 1863 was this:
In the course of the preceding financial year
there had been an expenditure of £5,810,852;
that in England having been £1,854,211, and
that in India £3,956,563. The amount raised
by the companies, in addition to the sum of
£2,515,496, which stood to their credit on the
1st of May, 1862, was £5,238,567, so that on
the 1st of May there was a balance of £1,943,211,
available for the current year's expenditure.
This expenditure – for 1863-64 – was estimated
at £20,112 in England, and £4,189,000 in India;
and it was anticipated that £5,293,000 would be
raised to meet it, in addition to the balance of
£1,943,211.

Among the novel appearances on the Indian
lines which cannot fail to strike the passenger,
may be noted the decidedly permanent setting
of the electric telegraph, which faithfully
follows their course, as in England. Originally,
the wires were supported by the trunks of palm-
trees, which gave a decidedly picturesque
appearance to the Bidglee Dâk (lightning mail), as
it is christened by the natives, especially when
the said trunks would insist upon looking
unscientific, by sending forth their feathery foliage
at the summit. But the wind and the rain
played sad havoc with these supports, and the
natives assisted nature by mounting them at
inconvenient seasons to deposit articles of more
or less bulk, which they desired to have
transmitted by this expeditious conveyance! It has
been found desirable, therefore, to replace them
by solid columns of masonry, which are now to
be seen in most places, and as masonry is not
liable to be blown about, the wires are kept
properly extended, and above suspicion of being
tampered with. One of the chief dangers in the
transit of the trains is the intrusion of cattle
upon the rails ; and in order to provide for it,
the ingenious device of a "cow-catcher" has
been much resorted to. This is a triangular
machine attached to the engine in front, which
being called a " cow-catcher," is not intended to
catch cows, but simply to clear those animals
out of the way. It is a decided " caution" to
the intruder, who finds himself on a sudden
tripped up and insinuated on one side, with
liberty to resume his equilibrium and journey
when the monster whose path he has ventured
to cross has gone rushing and roaring on its
way. The arrangement must be slightly
bewildering to the cow, but it is certainly conducive
to the public safety.

The general working of the lines may be thus
detailed: The net receipts from all the open
lines for the year ending 30th of June, 1862,
were about £434,000, against £311.367 of the
previous year.

The number of passengers conveyed in the
same period were 6,484,338 and 4,912,955
respectively.

The traffic, it is believed, has, upon the whole,
been conducted with regularity and safety.
Accidents have of course happened, but the official
report is not aware that any have proved fatal to
passengers. The native temperament is favourable
to regularity and punctuality, and the casualties
have been confined to the cows already
alluded to, and a few natives who have been
equally incautious. Fire has in many instances
destroyed goods while in transit. This is in
consequence of the use of wood instead of coal in many
places – coal being a scarce article in India. But
a hint taken from America, where the same
inconvenience is felt, resulting in the use of wire-
guards and similar precautions, has mitigated
the evil. Wood of course will get into a blaze
and send up a great deal of burning matter while
in motion, which may set fire to a whole train
unless proper protection be adopted.

The present changeable condition of the lines,
we are told, makes it very difficult to draw any
satisfactory conclusions as to their real value.
While some are partially finished and extending
in length every few months, while others are
finished, but are without access to the stations,
and while it is uncertain what will be the cost
of the permanent establishments, and what the
expenses of maintenance, it is impossible to
estimate, with any degree of accuracy, their
remunerative powers. And in connexion with the
question of maintenance of way, it may be
mentioned that while coal is scarce for one purpose,
wood is also scarce for another. On several
lines the wood used for sleepers has rapidly
decayed, and it has been found expedient to use
iron for the purpose. That this material lasts
longer for the sleepers themselves is beyond a
doubt; but the absence of elasticity has an
injurious effect upon the locomotives and rolling
stock, which wear out in their stead. The
official report, however, does not admit the force
of this objection. The consulting engineers of
the companies count upon a great saving in the
cost of maintenance from the use of iron sleepers,
which are now sent out from England in large
quantities, being adopted by the principal
companies. The necessity for substituting iron, it