The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-04-29
From the Chincha Islands.

d private leLleT lllc OullCld lSldHuS,
dated the 18th of February, which contains
some items of public interest, that we are
permitted to copy.
the letter, one hundred and Sirtg vessels of
averaging probably 500 tons. The esti-
mated average time for loading with guano
was forty days.
The rate of expectation of guano from
the Islands is said to be 1000 tons day,
which twas thought would not exhaust the
heap in ten years A geological survey,
ment, had estimated that eight years would
exhaust the supply. We extract from the
letter as follows:
"There are three of the Chincha Islands,
lying in line, n. and S., the passage be-
The wind is always S. and E., and it is never
largest. 1t is nearly circular, and about one
third of mile in diameter. and about 100
feet high. Some parts of the coast are steep
high cliffs, and Others sandy and rocky cones
of gradual ascent from the shores. The
heap of guano continues to deepen to the
highest point of the island, where it is 100
]
loaf of brown bread, laid upon table but
little larger than the base of the loaf, and
you can pretty nearly see the pile of guano
on either island. The laborers commence
digging and proceed along the top of the
rock in the direction of the centre, from all
parts of the island and therefore, in their
progress, have shown the guano in a very
steep side from the base rock, so feet high ;
and from every part it appears to be the
same substance-hard and close.
Every spoonful is dug with pick, and
when loosened is as dry as powder, and Of
course as dusty. If left in pile but a
brief period, it again becomes hard, and
must again be loosened with pick. From
the base to the top are found feathers, eggs,
and stones of all sizes, some weighing even
two or three tons. | have taken out many
perfect feathers, far from the top; and near
and upon the surface have seen what ap-
peared to be bone and flesh decomposed
1t is thought the pile now called guano,
is the decomposition ofsea animals, of which
there are multitudes now, and they are pre-
sumed to have been far more numerous in
ancient days, before the white man came to
destroy. Sea lions of large size "a ton
weight,) seals, and endless quantities Of sea
fowls, have been the inhabitants of these
islands for myriads of years, and the islands
have been the burial places of these animals;
for if wounded, they crawl to the top. So
say the knowing ones. Birds and bird lime
go to increase the pile. Guano is really de-
composed animal matter, but whether this
was the way so vast pile accumulated, or
whether the islands were thrown up from
the bottom of the sea, with the deposit
upon them, you must judge for yourselves.
The second island is similar in size and
pile to the one described. The third one
has not been touched yet. 1t is much
smaller but we'll loaded. Guano secretes
large quantities of ammonia, and confined
as it is in ships hold, a man cannot stay
more than five or ten minutes at time
among it. Besides large Jumps of pure am
monia, are daily found apparently decom-
posed bones, eggs, &c, and among other
items, man in perfect state of preserva-
tion-the real ammonia, strong as volatile
salts.
Now do you wish 70 know how all those
ships are loaded, and a thousand tons per day
dug and sent from these islands? Well
there are about 100 convicts from Peru, and
about 300 Cinnamon from the Celestial EN-
pire. The former are in the right place; the
latter were passengers that engaged passage
in an English ship for California, and en-
gagged before tley left theiE own country to
labor for limited time, to pay their passage