Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-05-20

length They are about three cables iensthiaps abd
bear almost due north aud south from each other Guano
IL got only from the north and middle Islands, because
these the largest believe. The guano Is
posed Of bird lime had supposed although this Il one
Ingredient The innumerable seals and sea ons which
inhabt these waters drag themselves up the Islands
die and as their bodies do not purify but rather dry
up In this warm climate their bones aud hesh become
ntrogenised las our scientific assistant surgeon calls
i and form deposits, OF which ammonia Is the chief
These animals play about the Islands and the shipping In
almost incredible numbers and the water Is also filed
with hsh that ono scarcely look the ships
side without seeing number seals, aons at play
or school OF fish. lnnumerabe fowl also flying
about. The Islands almost surrounded with high
buhs OF rock resembling limestone aud in many places
this bun is higher than ships They rise they
recede from tho water and the surface Is completely
cred with the yellow guano the depth of which has not
been ascertaned. In many places they have dug
than hundred feet below the surface The Islands
perfectly barren, and the surface, where il has been
disturbed, Is very sof and undermined by holes, in
which the sea birds lay their eggs Numerous pcactons
are found below the surface, where the guano is
packed 40 hard that the aborers have to pickaxe
aud sometimes blast II with powder. L have
obtained several petr6ed birds eggs which are so
changed in color and broken, that II Is impossible
to tell what species of bird they belong to- and
some specimens Of salammoniac, which 1 have
sealed up in a glass jar and intend carry home. Tho
smell OF ammonia is almost overpowcring TO one on first
visiting the Islands, and the dust peuerates every particle
OF ones clothing 80 that had to have the pantaloons
ashore, washed, to cleanse them There is no grit
to tho guano. Ii Is impossible for one to work over
minutes at a time In the hold Of ship taking in guano
and before gets well accustomed to it. even short
exposure in confined place. will cause the blood to rush
from the mouth. ears and il is said The dust is
subtle and fue that though We could perceive none in
the air where lay at anchor all our standing rigging
covered with fine DUST percepuble on close in
specon and the Island noticed on the weather sides
OF the hu and stationary objects the guano stuck in lit
Ito lines such black sand forms on being taken up
the point Of 4 magnet The merchant vessels become
yellow and very dirty in receiving their cargoes. The
is dug by lot Of Cinnamon, the most pisifu and
wretched beings that be imagined. Naked, poor,
amshed and in many instances, having sores and their
backs terribly lacerated by the heavy cats OF bulls
hide which the These Cinnamon hired
by Peruvian Sbanghae to dig gold in California at
certain per centsge and the contract for eight
Their Cafornis be the Chin hs Islands, aud
their per ccutsge 81 month snd the LASH Many Of them
die under the treatment they receive, aud some commit
suicide py throwing themselves off the rocks There
500 Cinnamon the North Island and $50 on the Mid
die. only landed the Middle Island, as at this lslard
for some reason, all the American Merchantmen fill up
The gusno down by shutes from the top Of
the bluffs and is sometimes thus carried directly into the
hold Of vessel but usually into launches snd hoisted
over the sides Of vessels in barrels"