nd the other above, the latter covering 854 m. of navigable
channel between Joazeiro and Pirapora. Besides these there are other
companies engaged in the coasting and river traffic, either with
subsidies from the state governments, as feeders for railway lines, or
as private unsubsidized undertakings.

The telegraph lines, which date from 1852, are owned and operated by
the national government, with the exception of the lines constructed
by private railway companies, and the cable lines of the Amazon and
the coast. The government lines extend from Para to the Argentine and
Uruguayan frontiers, where they connect with the telegraph systems of
those republics, and from Rio de Janeiro westward across country, in
great part unsettled, to the capitals of Goyaz and Matto Grosso. At
Para connexion is made with the cable laid in the bed of the Amazon to
Manaos, which is owned and operated by a subsidized English company.
At Vizeu, Para, connexion is made with a French cable to the West
Indies and the United States, and at Pernambuco with two cable lines
to Europe. A coastwise cable runs from Para to Montevideo with double
cables between Pernambuco and Montevideo. There were in 1903 a total
of 15,150 m. of land lines, with 29,310 m. of wire and 1102 telegraph
offices. The government maintains reciprocal rates with most of the
private railway lines.

The Brazilian postal service is under the general supervision of the
minister of communications and public works, and is administered by a
director-general. Owing to the size of the country and the
sparsely-populated state of a large part of the interior, the
transportation of the mails is attended with much difficulty and
expense. Although the postal rates are high, the service is not
self-sustaining, the receipts for 1904 being 7,018,344 milreis,
against a total expenditure of 10,099,545 milreis. There were 2847
post offices (_agencias_), of which 2166 were of the 4th or lowest
grade. Brazil is a member of the Postal Union, and like Argentina
exacts higher nominal rates of postage upon outgoing mail than those
agreed upon to cover the depreciation in her own currency. The letter
rate was at first 200 reis (nearly 5-1/2 d.), but it has been
increased to 300 reis, which is equivalent to 8 d. at par and 4-1/2 d.
at 15 d. exchange. An inland parcel post was in operation long before
the overthrow of the monarchy, a