=The Sorocabana Railway=, 864 miles, which traverses a rich and progressive part of Brazil opening up new territory, has important connections with other lines. This Company has several lines running west and northwest from São Paulo. One of the most important is to Baurú, a city also on the Paulista Railway. From this point the North Western Railway has continued the line to Itapura on the Paraná River and across the State of Matto Grosso to Porto Esperança on the Paraguay, about 40 miles by land from Corumbá on the west side of the River, and 80 by water. Probably a train-car ferry will later be provided at Esperança and the road continued on the other side to Corumbá. By the present road connection is made with Bolivia opposite, and by water with Paraguay farther down, the capital Asunción being about 700 miles distant, Montevideo nearly 1800. Previously to the completion of this railway Corumbá and that section of Brazil was reached from Rio only by a long, long sail, three weeks (farther than to Europe) by steamers of the Brazilian Lloyd Line. After making calls along the Brazilian coast, at Montevideo and Buenos Aires, these boats continue up the Paraná and Paraguay Rivers, arriving at last once more in their own country. This new railway and others now in construction will be an immense factor in opening the great central table-land of Brazil, with its rich possibilities for agriculture, cattle raising, and mining. =The São Paulo-Rio Grande=, another important railway, 853 miles, runs from São Paulo to Sant’ Anna do Livramento on the border of Uruguay, where it connects with the Central Uruguay Railway to Montevideo. Improvements have been made so that with better connections and sleeping cars to the border, which were lacking part of the way in 1916, the journey is now made in comfort in 4¹⁄₂ days to Montevideo. The road runs through a rich, often beautiful country; in some places with splendid scenery and fine forests, in others with open grazing lands where good cattle are visible, past small towns and pleasant rivers. People who are willing to work could find agreeable homes in this section with excellent temperate climate. Low land values are spoken of, which if genuine should make this an attractive region now that fairly good transportation exists with more in prospect. This line has several branches of its own, while other railways are connected with the through line, local roads to ports or to interior towns. One of these, the Paraná Railway, has its main line from the port Paranaguá to the State capital, Curityba, and to Ponta Grossa on the São Paulo-Rio Grande; it has north and south branches, the latter to Rio Negro and to São Francisco.