Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-11-03
5EAfter an interval Of several months, our
correspondent in the pacifc resumes his
very interesting letters.
From the Pacific.
the Chincha TsiandS.
USlrED STATES Sur ST. MARY.,
Callno, Peru.


tNirEp STATES Sntr ST. MARY',)
Callno, Peru.
July 21th, 1854,
Mn Enron In awaiting n reply to my last
letter | have allowed a long time to clapsc during
which much Of interest has trdnsprci in our cruis-
ings up and down the coast. However, that tritc
saying, bc,tcr late than n,re," encourage. mo to
give you another Sheet feeling assured that if it
takes three month, for this letter to reach you it
did your last to get to Callao, few weeks difference
in the time Of its starting will not be felt by your
readers.
We arrived NJ the Chncha Islands, March 9th,
four days from Callao. These Islands arc situated
about one hundred and ten miles to the Southwark
Of Callao and ten miles from the mainland, just of
the little town Of Pisco. When looks at them |
from tho oA'rc . feeling Of involuntary eurprse
arises Mt the vast number Of vessels at anchor |
around them, clustered in as thick forest Of masts
that which sees in looking from some Of the
whorfs in New York Full three miles oil, as we
were to leeward. did we smell the guano in such
palpabc cluvia that there was 10 mstdking our
whereabouts. II seemed as if some one had just
been uncorkng gigantic bottle Of "Aqua Amonie
tortis' gas | rocollcct seeing it Apothccurics
labcls,) or better fo,tSsuna perhaps, and the whole
air was imprcg grated with the odor ! am sure that
young lady would easily faint if she lived within
smelling distance of the Chncha Islands. We found
hundred and eighteen sail at anchor, eighty of
which hoisted the st0rs and stripes to welcome our
arrival. and We were told that there we're ie"p ves-
sis here than there had been at any time during
the past three months The Islands three in
number and bearing about North and South from
each other, n little more than quarter of mile
apart. The largest Of the groups the North Island,
being about two miles in length and half mile
wide the Middle Island is about two thirds the
size and the South still smaller from the latter no
rtinno is taken. The anchorage is about the North,
and between the Middle and North Islands. Each
vessel has Il number of " lay days specified in her
charter party as the laborcrs unable to furnish
a supply Of grano equal to the demand at the rate
Of ten days for every hundred tons burthen she is
th, gives large vessels as much sixty. eighty or
a hui drcd days to lie at the Islands, whchs very
serious detention, because time IS money in
especial sense 10 the mcrchaulman. For every
extra day which slip Is Obliged to wait for her
cargo after the expiration Of her lay days she re-
cci,cs 100 d,murragc,' as it is called.
The detention being such a scriyu, matter, very
many ship Masters are wil,in to pay high premiums
for receiving the gunno fast as they can stow it ;
and it this practice which has given rise to great
portion of the trouble which American ship
Masters have had at the Chnchos. Tho Governor,
or Agent, as nc i. called, Of the Middle Island,
is willing to make bargain and give ship Masters
the guano as inst a. they want it, thereby giving ia
some quick despatch while others arc made to
spend the better part Of their lay day in idlcncss
in T., tho qua no n the m % VC
day. This Of course makes much discomfort among
the ship Masters and many attempts are made Il
over bid onch other. while the willy agent pocket
the extra cash and prde' himself upon tine 'hre"dnes
aud success Of his mau"uyrcs.
The g,oup Of the Chinchas Is ruled by a Governor
onnointcd by the Peruvian administration at Lima
who hold. his court" in n hut on the Norh Island
surrounded by body guard Of some twenty or thrt,
of the raprcd defenders Of Peruvian Justice, Will
;,., of ,hc Island lie n smnIl Peruvian Man of Wa
and an old hulk used a. n sort Of pcnitcntiary. l
r po. ovcr the side Of thi, hulk TINT the rcaccabl
rr,r,rod Communion. Of Can't NcCcrrcn, of tn
American shin ..bc6ancc.' were driven at Il!
pon, oft .yonct three years since. rs the orlc
Of Don Iuil,i.. ,.i .atcrui, then Comrnaulantc a
the Chirchns Your readers are all fami lar wit
this outrage 50 much talked Of at the time, and
, only remains for mo to cav TINT this man, attc
much urging Of the matter was tried by Court Mar
tial (he Was an officer in the Peruvian NavyO ac
emitted md promot,J to A Post Caitaircv, Til
present Goycruor is said to be more Just and bra
man than the former. The North and Middle Island
ale nearly surrounded by pr cuc,s avcra -ing fror
thirty to seventy five feet i'm he-t into the face
which many deep cavern. aye washed by the 7ui
IL all i,..ti
t roaragainst the clii. making the cart1 temblc an
the caycrns croan again The -uano lies in Il 1creI
depths forming little hills and valleys on the /,
lands, and in souc places the depth of hundrc
md Gfty feet has been reached without meeting I'll
solid sui. stratum of rock. As the grades bccom
heavier for the islands are being reduced in hcisi
u by regular tcrracing. the guano become harder an
/ the pure sal Amoniac /, found having about II
e hardness of unsacked lime, and res milling quar-
=. in APPEARANCE, and it even becomes necessary
. blast it in some places though it is usually broke
IN by the nick and shovel, and continual eNposuI
y to the air makes il crumblc to dust. On the su
face where there has been no digging the suano liz
e in the form Of powcicr with no grit into which
" sinks to the depth of eighteen inches sometimes
n thi. however is rather owing to the undermining
= tho surr,,, by the myriads of cuano BIRDS wi
lrrovr far nesting Many remains Of marir
animal. arc found in dipgine. at all dcpth. in
mast p.rfcct state Of preservation sometimes al
tho Iob,r.rs ALWAYS have supplies of pctrifcd bir
y c.-s for sale tbop,h most Of the .pccmcns | "a
c W., li.co,orcd or mi.shapen. Not a particle
Il vcct,tiou is 10 be found on the Islands, and the
V c,tcrnol onreorancc is most unintcrc.ting
.,btIc i the dust Of the ruano TINT it pcnctrat
,, ,,or, Of ON. clo.bir, and ono Suffers n,uch i