Washington sentinel., 1854-04-22
From the Boston Traveller.
From the Chincha Islands.

the 18th of February, which contains some
items ofpublic interest, that we are permitted to
copy.
There were at the islands, at the date of the
letter, one hundred and sizty vessels of various
sizes, from 800 to 1900 tons burden, avera.
ging probably 800 tons. The estimated 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 it
was thought would not exhaust the heap in ten
years. A geological survey, made by order OF
the United States government had estimated
that eight years would exhaust the supply.
We extract from the letter as follows:
.There are three of the Chincha islands,
living in line, north and south, the passages
between them being less than half mile.
| The wind is always south and east and it is
never known to rain. The north island is the
! 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 coves OF
| gradual ascent from the shore. The heap Of
| guano continues to deepen to the highest point
| Of the island, where it is 100 feet in depth
Fancy large old-fashioned loaf of brown
bread, laid upon table but little larger than
the base of 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 CEN
tire, from all parts Of the island; and therefore,
in their progress, have shown the guano in
very steep side from the base rock, eighty feet
high; and from every part of 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
dusty. If left in a pile but brief period, it
Il ,,ra;n haoorrao how'd nd u,uet aoain he lo0q-
ened with pick. From the base to the top
are found feathers, eggs and stones of all sizes,
4 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 appeared to be bone and flesh decom-
posed
at is thought the pile now called guano, is
| the decomposition of sea animals, of which
there are multitudes now; and they are pre-
sumed to have been far more numerous in an
cient days, before the white man came to de.
stroy Sea lions of large size, Ia ton in
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 burialplaces of these animals; for IT wound
| ed, they crawl up to the top--so say the know
| ing ones Birds and bird lime go to increase
the pile. Guano is really decomposed animal
4
pile accumulated or whether the islands were
| thrown up from the bottom of the sea with the
deposit upon them, you must judge for your
self
.The second island is similar in size and pile
| to the one described The third one has not
been touched vet It is much smaller, but well
! loaded. Guano secretes large quantities OF
| ammonia, and, confined as it is in ships hold,
a man cannot stay more than Eve or ten min
! ntes ut time among it. Besides, large Jumps
,,f pure ammonia are daily yfound, apparently de-
composed bones, eggs &c, and, among other
ite ms, a man in perfect state OF preservation
the real ammonia, strong as volatile salts.
.Nowdo you wish to know how all those ships
are loaded, and thousand tons per day dug
and sent from the islands? Well, there are
about 100 convicts from Peru, and about 3O0
Cinnamon from the Celestial Empire. The
former are in the right place; the latter were
passengers that engaged passage in an English
shin for California, and engaged before they
left their own country to labor after their arri-
val for limited time to pay their passage ($8O.)
Instead of being landed at California, the ship
brought them direct to this place, and the cap
! tain sold them for three and six years, accord
ing to the men, to work out their passage ano
! here they are slaves for life. They are allowed
"a per month for their food, and one-eighth O.
4 a dollar per day for their labor, with pile O
guam before them which will last the next ter
years and long before it is exhausted the ma
| iority of them will be dead. Each man is com
pelled to bring to the shoot FIVE tons OF guanc
1 per day. A failure thereof is rewarded with the
lash from a strong negro and such is their nor
ror of the lash and the hopelcssness OF then
condition, that every week there are more o.
less suicides. In the month Of November,
II G. Al IL 1f HON
hands and Jumped from the precipice into tht
sea. In December there were twenty-three
suicides, (this is from one in authority;) IN
January quite number, but have not learned
how M any l was few days since on the
South island, and there saw two of the most
miserable. starved creatures. They had swan
across on /. heir wheel-barrows and were fully de-
! termined to lie. could not feed them, and my
heart ached fo T them; SO, after we reached the
shin. a boat wa despatched with bread anc
water for their .-elief. Perhaps this availec
nothing, for they must either return !, 10 tneil me
task, or some one m ust feed them daily, !, Inc
| Chinese, it is said, are educated % DeheVe
| in the transmigration of souls, and tn, 'feior'
think if they leave this life they shall retur.' te
| their own country. 1t is thought this faith in
duces them to leave their wheelbarrows and
commit suicide.
"Ihus, by diminishing 3 the number of laborers,
the exports are reduced; and to meet the de-
mand. OF so many ships, two English ships
lone of which has been here before) are soon
expected with other loads Of passengers from
the Chinese dominions, deceived, most prob
ably, with the idea of going to California to
dig gold. In fact, it is said the first batch of
Celestials had dug many days before they were
undeceived.
"The process Of loading the ship is either by
placing the ship close to steep, rocky cliff,
and have the guano run through large can
vass hose from the top of the hill into the ships
hold, $500 tons per day are put on board by
this method, and as there is seldom much
wind or swell ship can lie very well j or boats
that go under smaller shoots are sometimes
loaded and return to the ship, where it is taken
on board in tubs made from barrels"
Capture of Moro Castle.
Tt is lauphabe sometimes m bear opr nnb1;o