Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN'. TIMM

Sir,—Several extracts have appeared in various metro-
politan papers, relative to the ab3ve matter, taken from
the Indian press, which are calculated to convey an erro-
neous impression amongst our friends, who have des-
patched their vessels to load at those Islands, otherwise we
should not trouble you with further discussion on this
matter.

Ws must premise that it was not our wish to throw
this matter open to the public ; our intention was to ins
port the Guano on own accounts, taking all tits risks of
the enterprise. This intention we relinquished, only, on
finding that Government was resolved not to accord us
the protec'ion of a ship of war, which was 4hsolutely
requisite for the succ?seul prosecution of this business,
unless we consented to throw the Trade open.
The Secretary of the Colonies apprised us some weeks
since, that the Corde!ia, (screw, corvette,) bad departed
for the purpose of superintending operations at the
Islands.

The subordinate officers of the East India Co., have
exhibited little disposition to aid 133 in this matter; on
the contrary, there was a general feeling amongst them,
that our Home Government had exceeded their province
in obtaining cession of those Islands without the aid of
their diplomacy ; hence, a feeling rather against than in
favour of the. enterprise. As our terms to vessels loading
there, do not exact payment until the cargo is on board,
we cannot see that there is any ground for the alarm ex-
hibited by Commander Haines, of the Indian Navy, who,
without wishing to impugn his motives, (we cannot help
saying) writes rather in the spirit of a partizan ;, it cer-
tainly would bo mortifying should the result prove as
favourable as we anticipate, that Commander Haines,
while surveying, was in close proximity to a deposit of
such great value, and at the same time remai❑ in
happy ignorance of it.
The Government having granted the protection re-
quired, dispose,: of Capt. Haines's anxieties as to the dis-
turbances likely to be experienced, from tho few wan-
dering piratical Arabs, who prowl about this coast. Now, as
to the danger to shipping loading, from storms and un-
safe anchorage, we have statements from several ex-
perieoced shipmasters, that the water is perfectly
smooth during the season, commencing in September
and ending iu April. Landing and loading can be
effected without the sliglitst danger or inconvenience,
and some go so far as to assert, that operations can be
carried on during the whole of the year. In corrobo-
ration of our views, we beg to direct atten'ion to the
following extract from a report made by
,Captain
Freensantle, of H.M.S. Juno :

"It is only just to observe that, from the beginning
of October until the latter end of May, the weather
is uniformly serene, and ships may approach and anchor
on either side of all the Islands in perfect security,"
It is also reported to us that in the island of Maki there
are fine natural harbours, is which some seventy sail may
lie at anchor, lard-locked, and in perfect safety.
At the time commander Haines surveyed those islands,
1335 3C, the value of Guano was but imperfectly known,
consequently, the deposits were then overlooked, as of no
importance, but iu his statements he admits that the islands
were the resort of "myriads of birds of the Gannet species,
the excrement giving quite a white appearance." And
again, he says, " the surfaces of several of the islands are
certainly, in most palls, covered with Guano, particularly
the western and eastern islands."

If the birds then resorted in myriads, and had covered
the surfaces of the Minds with Guano, giving thorn a white
appearance, we presume the deposit, then made, still
remains, with that accumulated during the twenty years
that have elapsed since that observation wag made. Did
commander Haines calculate to what the deposit would
amount, provided the birds had resorted to the islands for
many centuries previous to his visit, as there is every
reason to suppose they had ?
Further, our own people, when they were driven off by
the Arabs, had dug seven feet down, and still found the
supply of Guano unexhausted. The captain and men con-
nected with the expedNon, all concurred in stating that
the quantity, though of varying quality, was exceedingly
large. It may be well to state that, in sounding with a
rod, the point of the staff frequently came in contact with
large massesof a substance which, on an analysation, proved
to contain 80 per cent. of phosphate of lime, and as these
masses were dispersed throughout the deposit at greater
o.ud less depths from the surface, it was impossible to
arrive at even an approximate estimate of the quantity.
As regards quail+ 7, the East Indian writers speak

disparagingly of a Guano containing 5 to 7 per cent. of
amnia. We have now before us a sample of Upper
Peruvian, analysing less than 5 per cent, of amonia, with
63 per cent. of phosphate of lime, which sold a short tittle
since at £ll 10s. per ton. We estimate the average
quality, which will be imported from Ko)ria Mooria, to be
now worth £lO 10s. to £ll. The phosphates alluded to
as being dispersed throughout the deposit, were valued e
few weeks &nee by a rnanufac,urer at £8 per ton. People
unconnected with this business, forget that the growing
scarcity of the article, renders samples that previously
were comparatively neglected, now of high value. All
the reports we have yet received, confirm us in our
opinion, that the quantity is considerably in excess of the
general estimate, and that the quality will prove satisfac-
tory to both shipowner and agriculturist. 0-wain Ord
will be at the islands in a steamer sent out by ourselves,
to give all the a!d required, and he, with assistants, will
supe-intend the loading of each vessel, 81 that no master
will be allowed to take on hoard a cargo likely to prove
other than satisfactory. ORB, HINDiON, AND 119 YE 9.
Liverpool, July 7, 1857.