The =North Longitudinal=. At Copiapó we change to the North Longitudinal from which there is a branch to Chañaral, about 50 miles north of Caldera, on a large but exposed bay in one of the richest mineral districts of Atacama, with large smelting works, and exporting gold, silver, and copper. A private (British) railway system of 184 miles, crossing the Longitudinal, serves a nitrate district and the port of Taltal, 100 miles south of Antofagasta; a primary port on a well protected bay, with piers fitted with steam cranes, a centre of the nitrate and copper industries. Taltal is a modern town with important business houses. Besides gold, silver, and copper, the Province has some undeveloped nitrate land. Farther on at Aguas Blancas, a railway belonging to the Bolivia-Antofagasta Company runs to Caleta Coloso, a port six miles south of Antofagasta and connected by rail with that city as well as with various nitrate properties. Farther still the Longitudinal crosses the Antofagasta-Bolivia Railway at Baquedano, where some traffic is exchanged. It is the intention of the Government to construct its own line to Antofagasta and to the port of Mejillones some miles north. Beyond this crossing, from Toco on the Longitudinal, the Anglo-Chilian Nitrate and Railway Company’s Line branches to the port of Tocopilla. At last Pintados, the one time terminus is reached, where connection is made with the Nitrate Railways, which go on to Iquique and Pisagua. But in spite of this the Government Line is now being prolonged to the former city. It is intended ultimately to extend the main line to Arica, 175 miles farther, a section likely to be unprofitable commercially but desired for other reasons. From Arica there is a railway to Tacna, near the Peruvian border, hence on completion of this section there would be through rail service from near the northern border to Puerto Montt in the far south, a primary port on the Gulf of Reloncavi. The length of the road from Puerto Montt to Jazpampa the present terminus, east of Pisagua, is 1902 miles; to Taratá, the most northern town in the mountains, the distance is 207 miles more.