[R1174 : page 8]

A RAILWAY TO JERUSALEM.

"The British Consular Agent at Jaffa, in the last report of the trade of his district, states that a concession for a railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem has been granted by the Sultan to Mr. Joseph Navon, an Ottoman subject, for 71 years. It is stated that a company has been formed in England and France to carry out the scheme, and that the engineers are soon expected to undertake the work. The carriage road between Jaffa and Jerusalem has been greatly improved. The Government sold last year the income from the toll of the road for L.2,085, as compared with L.1,812 the year before last, which shows an increase in the traffic. The Jewish colonies in Palestine are greatly improving; one of them, which is called Richon le Zion, has planted about 2,000,000 vines, and is promising well. The colonists are good laborers, nearly all their land is cultivated. The greater part of them are Turkish subjects, and all are subject to the laws of the country."--Sel.