On the Mogyana Railway

I ARRIVED at Riberao Preto at 3.45 p.m. on March 29th. Riberao Preto--421
kil. N.N.W. of Sao Paulo and 500 kil. from Santos--is without doubt the
most important commercial centre in the northern part of the State of Sao
Paulo, and is a handsome active city, neat and clean-looking, with an
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese population of some 25,000 souls. Its
elevation above the sea level is 1,950 ft. The people of Riberao Preto
subsist chiefly on the coffee industry. There are one or two theatres in
the city, the principal being a provincial one. There are several hotels
of various degrees of cleanliness and several industrial establishments.
Unlike other cities of the interior, Riberao Preto boasts of a good
supply of _agua potavel_ (drinking water), and the town is lighted by the
electric light.

The value of land in the vicinity of Riberao Preto varies from 300
milreis to 1,500 milreis for the _alqueire_, a price far superior to that
of other localities on the same line, where cultivated land can be
purchased at 300 milreis an _alqueire_ and pasture land at 100 milreis.

At Riberao Preto I was to leave the Dumont Railway. Special arrangements
had been made for me to meet at that station a special Administration car
which was to be attached to the ordinary express train on the Mogyana
Railway line.

I had been warned at the Dumont Estate that a brass band had been sent to
the Riberao Preto station, where some notabilities were awaiting my
arrival in order to greet me with the usual speeches of welcome. As I
particularly dislike public speaking and publicity, I managed to mix
unseen among the crowd--they expecting to see an explorer fully armed and
in khaki clothes of special cut as represented in illustrated papers. It
was with some relief that I saw them departing, with disappointed faces,
and with their brass instruments, big drums and all, after they had
entered the luxurious special car placed at my disposal by the Mogyana
Railway and found it empty--I humbly watching the proceedings some
distance away from the platform.

Thanks to the splendid arrangements which had been made for me by Dr.
Jose Pereira Reboncas, the President of the Mogyana, I was able to take a
most instructive journey on that line, the Traffic Superintendent, Mr.
Vicente Bittencourt, having been instructed to accompany me and furnish
all possible information.

A few words of praise are justly due to the Mo