Central American Honduras—not a British Colony, notwithstanding that its imports and exports appear in the statistical abstract of the Board of Trade “for the several Colonies and other Possessions of the United Kingdom”—is about to have a railway constructed immediately across its territory, from the Carribean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. For this purpose the Honduras Government has recently introduced with success on the London and Paris markets a loan for £1,000,000 sterling, under special treaties between England, France, and the United States. The line (about 150 miles long) has been surveyed, on the part of the British Government, by Colonel Stanton and a detachment of the Royal Engineers, sent out from England for the purpose. As regards interoceanic communication, the line will be of great importance, as it will effect a saving of 1,300 miles, or five days, between the Atlantic and Pacific ports, as compared with the Panama route. The harbours at the respective termini—viz., Puerto Caballos on the Carribean Sea, and the Bay of Fonseca on the Pacific, are capacious and safe, affording every facility for direct embarkation and disembarkation.
Proceeding to Africa, we have the Cape Railway, the terminus of which is at Cape Town. The total length of its lines in operation is sixty-three miles. The Cape of Good Hope Government guarantees 6 per cent. upon a sum not exceeding £500,000, and “it is to be considered as a rate in aid towards making a dividend of 6 per cent.” The net dividend and the guarantee combined only yield 4 per cent. on the gross capital, which, at the date of the last report issued by the company in October, 1867, was £746,722. This railway has suffered severely in its traffic, in consequence of the great commercial depression in the colony during the last two years, but its prospects are now reviving. The Directors have recently completed arrangements with the Colonial Government for the construction of further extensions.
The young and enterprising colony of Natal contemplates (as yet it has done nothing more) two lines of railway, one from Durban to Maritzburg, which will be about sixty-nine miles long, and a mineral line from Durban to Zuguela. Its length would be sixty-nine miles, and it would run through districts said to abound in fine coal, limestone, and iron.
The Island of Mauritius has a railway consisting of two portions, each having its terminus in common at Port Louis. The northern line is 36½ miles long, and the Midland 34 miles. They are now both open in their entire lengths. The traffic is reported to be highly satisfactory, and in advance of the expectations which had been formed of it. The cost of the whole 70½ miles has been about £1,300,000, of which the Government advanced £300,000 out of its accumulated surplus revenue. The balance of the capital has been principally found in England.
Shortly after the British Government took possession of Ceylon, at the invitations of the native chiefs, the formation of a large system of roads through the principal parts of the island was decided upon. These, as well as several canals, were constructed at heavy cost, for the country is extremely difficult and mountainous in several parts. Now the railway is beginning to supersede the old roads, and in a few years more there will be a tolerably comprehensive net-work throughout the island. From Colombo, its capital, situated on the west-coast of the island, to the foot of the incline over the Allagalla Mountain, the peak of which is 8,400 feet above the level of the sea, the line has been opened since the early part of 1867. Its length is fifty-three miles, and it is expected that before the close of the year the whole line to Candy will be completed. The railway will subsequently be extended from Candy to Trincomalee.
Of the small islands in the vicinity of the British coast, the only one which as yet has railways, is the beautiful little Isle of Wight, the climate of which is said to be the most salubrious of any part of Great Britain. It is, at its nearest point, about 85 miles from London, and, thanks to express trains and rapid steamboats, it is not farther in time than three hours, viâ Portsmouth or Stokes Bay, to Ryde, or viâ Southampton and the Solent, to Cowes. For an island, the length of which is only 22 miles, and the extreme breadth (as nearly as possible at its centre) 13 miles, the whole of which is necessarily, from its picturesque character, extremely undulating, it is very abundantly supplied with railways. The most important, and the most costly is the Isle of Wight Railway, running from Ryde to Ventnor, with its long tunnel near the latter place. The length of this railway is 12 miles, and the last section (through the tunnel) was opened for traffic in October 1866. By recent enactments, the company has obtained powers to construct 26 miles of extensions, so as, by means of them, to connect with the Newport and Cowes Line (5¼ miles long), and thus to establish a sufficient net-work of railways over the frequented portions of the island.
The Isle of Man is about to construct a railway, which is to run from Douglas, its capital, into the interior of the island.
There are no railways in Jersey or Guernsey, although possibly one may be soon made in the former island, from St. Helier’s to St. Aubin’s. Its length would be five or six miles, and, from a cursory inspection of it on the occasion of a visit we made to the island a couple of years ago, there appear to be abundant elements for traffic, if the line were cheaply constructed. The expense of carrying it farther from the capital would not be justifiable, both on account of the expensive works that would be necessary, and the comparatively small traffic, except during the tourist season. Then it is very considerable.
We have now brought our Rambles on British Railways to a conclusion.