On the lesser range there are two tunnels, one of 586 yards, and the other 120 yards, on a curve of 120 yards, or five chains radius. The low-lying country at the base of these two mountain ranges is intersected by streams and water-courses, which in the wet season become roaring torrents, overflowing their banks, and thus necessitating an amount of bridging and water-ways as great as, for a like distance, in any other country of the world. Notwithstanding these heavy works, the passages through the mountain have been constructed at a cost of about £15,000 a mile. On the lengths presenting only ordinary difficulties they have been made at about £6,000 a mile. The South Australian Railway extends from Adelaide in the direction towards Murray River, not far from where it flows into Lake Alexandra. The number of passengers conveyed on Victorian lines in 1866 was very great—3,361,312. They also transported 482,314 tons of goods. The number of passengers carried on the New South Wales railways was 751,587; but the amount of goods was nearly equal to that on the Victorian lines—416,707. The South Australian carried on its fifty-six miles of railway 402,550 passengers and 261,183 tons of goods.[113] Owing to the failure of the harvest, there has been a considerable falling off in the business of the South Australian railways in 1866. New Zealand opened its first railway—from Christchurch to Lyttelton—six miles in length, in the summer of 1867. Further reference will be made to this railway in a subsequent page. Tasmania is also becoming alive to the importance of its having railways running from its sea-boards to the interior. Railways have made progress in some of the other colonies of great Britain. The oldest British railway, out of the United Kingdom, is the Demerara Railway. The company was constituted so far back as 1844 for the construction of various lines, including one from George Town to Mahaica, a length of twenty miles. This is the only railway as yet open in the colony. It is, however, prospering, the receipts having increased very much during late years. Its total cost has been about £320,000; £115,000 is 6 per cent. preference capital. The ordinary capital now earns a dividend of 3 per cent.