92                         FOREIGN    RELATIONS.

tion of 5,000 feet. The viaduct of Varrujas passes through the grandest mountain
scen-
ery till reaching Lurco, after which it leaps the defile of Challapa by a
bridge 160
feet high and 224 feet span.
  Between Tambo Viso and Chicla the railway picks its way through awful precipices
where it would seem impossible to bring a locomotive, there being 30 bridges
and via-
ducts in this section, and 35 tunnels, the longest 1,290 yards in length;
the curves in
some places are in the form of a V, and when we reach the awful chasm of
Chacahuare
you hear the roar of the water-fall at a great depth below. Next comes the
Infernillo
defile, where the Rimac is a stream of 130 feet wide, falling over a cascade
of 170 feet.
This is passed by a tunnel to the edge of the cliff, then a bridge 200 feet
in height, after
which the train enters another tunnel, till again reappearing to the light
of day, and
still steadily ascending. The Rio Blanco defile being passed the line is
carried over a
viaduct 330 feet long and 250 high, again across the Rimac, and we reach
Chicla. All
this country is so rich in minerals that the railway is sure to revive the
abandoned
mines of the last century.
  From Chicla to Summit Tunnel the ascent is easy, although there is an incline
of 1
in 25, which is surmounted by 6 bends, the last at the Chinchan defile, being
5 miles
long, and the scenery here of the wildest and most savage 'aspect. The brightness
of
the snow is distressing to the eyes. The air is so rarefied at this height
that you breathe
with difficulty, and at last, at Antarangra, we enter Summit Tunnel, 15,000
feet over the
sea, and 106 miles distant from Callao. This is nearly 3 times as high as
the greatest
elevation of the American and San Francisco railway over the Rocky Mountains,
(6,000
feet.)
  The descent on the Brazilian side is easy, till reaching the little village
of Oroya,
which gives its name to this wonderful railway. Oroya is 136 miles from the
port of
Callao, and stands 12,100 feet over sea-level. The last section of the line
from Oroya
to the Amazons, 31 miles, is now approaching completion. Thus the whole length
will
be 167 miles, and travelers or merchardise can then be conveyed by steam
trom Brazil
up the Amazons and over to the west coat, or vice versa.



                                   No. 60.

                         Mr. Partridge to Mr. Fish.

No. 176.]                              UNITED STATES LEGATION,
                    Rio de Janeiro, May 20, 1874.    (Received June 20.)
   SIR: On the 5th instant the session of the legislative chambers was
opened by a speech from the Throne, a translation of which is hereto
annexed.
  It will be seen that this time the Rio Branco ministry have not fol.
lowed their own example on previous occasions, and made no allusion
to all the most important events or measures of the year.
  They were obliged to speak of the ecclesiastical question, in which
they have triumphed, but have nothing to say on the question Of civil
marriage, which has formed part of that discussion, nor of the attitude
of the Argentine Republic, which has taken up most attention since the
trial of the bishops.
  Since then nothing has been done, because the ministry finds itself
with a bare majority of one or two, and which threatens to disappear,.
so that no measure of importance or reform that was needed and prom-
ised has been brought forward or discussed.
   When the ministerial party find, at a session, that their members are
not all present, they depart, so as to leave the chambers without a quo-
rum, so that an adjournment till next day takes place, which is repeated
on the morrow if the steamer on which some of their adherents are to
arrive has not come in.
  Meantime we hear less talk of war from         Buenos Ayres, where the
result of the election for president is still in doubt. Here, however,
they think this is only a delay on the part of the Argentines; so the