Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-01-09
Exhaustion Of Guano Supplies.

~ exhaustion of the present known supplies Of
Guano. II is not long since the agricultural
community were assured of abundant supplies for
at least hundred years-or until scientific in
genuity could devise "A substitute therefor. But
the prospect would seem. to have changed. Admiral
Morseby, of the British squadron in the Pacific,
has forwarded to the Admiralty an estimate to the
effect that the main source of present supply, the
Chineha Islands, will be exhausted in eight or nine
YEARS. There are three islands in the Chincha
groupc ON which Admiral Morseby estimates only
s600,000 tons-about million tons of which is of
an inferior quality, reserved for the coast trade
During the eight months previous to September
30O,0DO tons had been shipped and there were
still 100 vessels Mt the Islands, capable of expor-
ting 100000.
Ii will bc observed, however, that instead of 3
ORG years il would require more than sixteen
yenrs 10 exhaust, exclusive of the inferior quail
ty, the above estimated supply by consump-
ton of 5O0,OjO tons per requiring n com
mercia marine of five hundred vessels. But
witha consumption OF 100000 toms per annum,
which, according TO Mr.. Mcintosh who made the
survey of the Islands under the orders of Admiral
Morseby, was nbout the amount excayated in the
twelve months previous 10 September, the supply
would bc still sufficient from that source for AT
least twenty four years 1t has, however, been as
ceftained 10y two different surveys by English En-
pineers, previous to the estimates we are consd-
ering, that the depositcs ON the Chincha Islands
were not less than twenty four or twenty five
million tons. This would be sufficient 10 furnish
the immense quantity of five hundred thousand
tons per nnnum for fifty years.
Mr. Mcintosh in his report To Admiral Morse
ley of his examination OF the Islands, on which
the above estimates were based, says he cannot
call his examination survey, because ii was ne
cessarily exceedingly rough and imperfect, both
by reason of shortness of time and the want If
proper instruments, Us well MS desire not to ex-
cite observation. But, granting that lac has not
moderated the Chncha Islands deposites, do
not believe there is any ground for serious arpre-
hension that the supplies Of this great agrieuItu
raj agent will be exhausted during the present or
succeeding generation.
Guano has been drawn principally from the Peru
Wan Islands because of its supposed better quail
ity and the facilities for shipment afforded by re-
turning vessels engaged in the California trade.
For all practical purposes, however, we doubt not
that in this with other localities it will prove To be
inexhaustible. There are many deposites already
discovered which have yet been scarcely touched,
and the aecumulations still being made hy
the myrads of sea birds which inhabit the rocky
islands of the Tropics. According to returns of
the English Board of Trade for last year, tie inn
ports into the United Kingdom for 1852 were one
hundred and twenty nine thousand eight hun
dred and eighty nine tons. Only eighty-sx
thousand tons Of this (the English none
but guano of the most su, eror quality were
brought from the Peruvian Islands. The re-
mainder was imported from twenty different gen
eral localities, including the coast of Chill, Boil
via, Uruguay, Buenos Ayres, nearly the whole
coast of Africa, China, Australia, &c We
think Admiral Morsbey is in fault in his caleua-
tons He may ''number the stars, and measure
the of heaven, for that is part of his trade
but he cannot measure gnano beds or number the
scientific birds which are hocked thither to be of
use to the world" The Chincha Islands may be
valueless in eight ten years; but centuries will
scarcely exhaust the increasing Accommodations
on the innumcrabe islands. with those already
discovered, which probably lie in every meridian
of the vast seas of the tropical belt.