The works illustrated by the engravings are now being constructed
under a concession from the imperial government of Brazil. The
province of Ceara has an area of about 50,000 square miles, and is one
of the richest in Brazil. Its produce comprises sugar, coffee, cocoa,
cotton, tobacco, spices, fruit, cabinet and dye woods, India rubber,
etc. Its population at the last census, taken in 1877, amounted to
952,624 inhabitants, that of the capital, the city and port of Ceara,
being about 40,000. Although Ceara is the principal seaport at which
lines of English, French, American, Brazilian, and other steamers
regularly call, prior to the commencement of the harbor improvements
it was almost an open roadstead, passengers and goods having to be
conveyed by lighters and boats between vessels and the shore. The
official statistics of the trade and shipping of the port show that an
income of L35,750 per annum will be collected by the Ceara harbor
corporation from the dues which they are authorized by their
concession to charge on all imports and exports and on the vessels
using the port and from the rent of the bonded warehouses.
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