The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-12-29
The GuanO Isles.

brown IN tNelT outward appearance, lying
under the cloudIess and scorching rays OF
the sun; and never since the days of the
food have their SUBMITS been moistened by
a drop of rain, are to-day the lands of the
once famous land OF gold. These rocks are
called the Chinca Islands. A feet of vessels
constantly surround these isles, like vultures
around "a carcass, TO bear away their choicest
portions, namely, the Guano which abounds
on them, and which is to restore the broad
acres of foreign lands to their pristine fer
,ility The amount on the two Lobos--I
which, by the way, were figured on maps and
charts as early as the sixteenth century, isl
comparatively unimportant. The most val
liable guano is obtained from the Chincas.
Those who sail from Callao for the Chincas
pass large island, St. Gallon, whose capi
,al is Pisco, famous for its whisky, which is
we'll known throughout the whole south sea.
A few nautical miles farther on, and every
. one who is blessed with an olfactory nerve,
becomes involuntarily aware of the fact that
he is in the vicinity of large deposit OF
g,iano. Every length that the vessel ploughS
through the waves the odof becomes more
and more piercing.
These three rocks lie almost in direct line
north and south, and are respectively one
and two miles apart The guano on the
whilst the northern one has been almost en-
,rely stripped, and ships are now receiving
their cargoes from the middle one. The
aides Of these islands are very steep, and
nre somewhat conical in shape. All the
clefts and valleys Of these isles are COM
pletelv covered with guano SO that they pre-
sent the appearance of abrupt or truncated
cones. The thickness Of the guano is there
fore varOus in some places not over s or
10 inches, in Others it attains thickness of
more than 100 feet Although each Of these
rocks are about two miles in circumference,
vet the stock Of guano is almost incredible.
Estimates, of course, are, III their very ma
ture, unreliable, but notwithstanding they
are the nearest approximations to the truth
without actual measurement that can be OBJ
tained, and in accordance with the usual
method OF making such estimates, the guano
on the three isles has been estimated at 20O,-
100000 tons. To remove it at the same
rate that it is removed at present would re-
quire period OF 100 years, and at the pres
ent rates these islands are worth millions oi
money.
We know that even under the Incas the
Peruvians had knowledge Of its fertili8ing
properties, and applied it for that purpose
and that the Spaniards obtained this knowl
edge from them, but were too indolent 70
apply it in practical life.
The word guano is undoubtedly Of Indian
origin, huanu meaning animal manure; il
was corrupted by the Spaniards in hnuno
and by the English accent Of the strongl,
aspirated h in the Spanish to guano. GuanC
is found along the entire South American
coast, even to Cape Horn, but that of the
Chincas is the most desirable, because it lie
in the reinless district.
Landing at the Chincas, we approach then
by narrow strip of sandy beach, much L
the discontinue of the inhabitants, namel,
the PelicanS and Flamingos.
Over head we observed perfect cloud o
pelicans, swaying hither and thi,her, sudden
p. ly some one of the flock drops down per
'prndicularly, as though bullet had passe'
through its head down, down it drops int
the wafer ihen Sudlenly II snarS nnWar!