Up to the year 1870 these lines, and a few more that were started, progressed very slowly, although the rates of freight were then very high; but after that trade increased gradually, and not only a fair number of sailing-vessels arrived yearly, but the regular lines of steamers increased their number of sailings.  The great drawback was the deficient state of the port, where steamers had to lie at a distance of fourteen to sixteen miles, and most of the sailing-vessels at ten to twelve miles from the shore.  There was no channel dredged, and even the Riachuelo was so scantily supplied with water that lighters drawing seven to eight feet were sometimes for weeks prevented from getting out to deliver their cargo to the sea-going vessels in the outer roads.  The discharge was exclusively effected into lighters, which, apart from the heavy expense incurred by the receiver of the goods, presented the great objection that a considerable portion of the cargo was often broached and pilfered before it reached the shore, claims for which had to be paid by the ship.  Another point was that many of these lighters were old sailing-vessels or steamers, and, in the unseaworthy and leaky state they were in, often arrived with their cargo considerably damaged.  On the completion of the South Basin on 28th January, 1889, passengers were able to embark or disembark with a little more comfort, and cargoes were landed on the quays.  Docks 1 and 2 have each a water area of 23 acres, being 570 metres long by 160 metres wide, with a quay length of 1,420 metres.  No. 3 Dock has a water area of 27 acres, is 690 metres long by 160 metres wide, with a quay length of 1,660 metres.  No. 4 Dock has a water area of 25 acres, is 630 metres long by 160 metres wide, with a quay length of 1,535 metres.

All these four docks, when they were originally finished, had a depth of 23 feet 9 inches below low water, so that, however low the river may be, there should never be less than 23 feet 9 inches in the docks.  Since then dredging has been going on and the docks have been deepened to receive larger vessels.  The docks are united by passages 20 metres in width, each passage being crossed by a swing bridge.  Dock No. 4 is entered at its northern end by the north lock.  This lock opens into the North Basin, which has a water area of 41 acres and a quay length of 1,409 metres and a depth of 21 feet 3 inches.  The total area of the basins and the four docks is 174 acres, and the total length of quays 8,482 lineal metres.  The following are the dates the various basins and docks were opened to traffic:—­

    South Basin ... ... ... 28th January, 1889
    South Lock, Dock No. 1 ... 31st January, 1890
    Dock No. 2 ... ... ... 26th September, 1890
    Dock No. 3 ... ... ... 31st March, 1892
    Dock No. 4, North Lock, North
      Basin, and Graving Docks ... 7th March, 1897
    First half of North Channel... 15th June, 1897
    Second half of North Channel,
      buoys and beacons ... ... 31st March, 1898