The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-07-17
CHTNCHA ISLANDS PERU.

CHINCHA ISLANDS, PERU.
The Chinchas are three small isles, neither Of them
more than a mile across, and about the same dis
lance apart, lying in o line north and south Il miles
from the main land and about 80 miles from Callao.
They consist ofyolca1lic rock, upheaved from the sea
and except q few narrow beaches, their sides are max
ed preeipices, jagged and indented with caves, and
surrounded here and there with rocky masses. All
of them are covered with nothing but guano, Wlch
lies upon the rock just as if it had been sltted upon
it till it had formed rounded hills. The rocks are
from 200 to 800 feet high around the shores, ana the
guano is heaped upon them highest IN the mnquIe'
where It NAV be 200 feet through. On the North
Island is the principal station. Here is q deputy
Commandment. slibordinates, Interpreter, DOCTORS, nos
pital. q few soldiers, women, negro drives ana the
like. The Limitations are mere fat rooted huts OF
matted cane, except one or two Of the principal. The
guano blows through and through everything. The
floors are carpeted with guano; books, clothing, every
thing are yellow with it. But it is not SO annoying
or any more annoying than would be so much soil;
it is strongly ammoniacal; it has cleansing property
in washing; nothing livesin it worse than feas and small
lizards, which are glad to get out of Ones way.
The guanO is dug from the hills, and conveyed to
to depots, on the edge of the cliffs in barrows. On
the north island are two steam paddles which also
cut it away and load cars, which are pushed to the
places of deposit on temporary rails. These places
are large enclosures of cane, supported on the slOping
face Of the rock, by chain cables, and reaching to the
very verge of the cliff. At the lower end of these are
openings connecting with canvas pipes or ESshutes, -
through which the guaEo is emptied into launches,
OF directly LuIO Vessels lying at IHe DaS6 OF GIFTS DelOW.
The shore is SO bold that Notwithstanding the swell,
ships may be loaded at the shutes at both islands.
OyerSeers are stationed at the top to seehow much
goes into the launches, whose turn it shall be to load,
etc. While a ship or launch is loading she is in a com
plete smother, as if ashes were poured into her from
q hundred and fifty feet overhead. With their yards
cock-billed, and rolling their royal masts almost
against the face of the rock, all covered with guano,
you would hardly recognize some Of the finest clip
pers, that before they left New-York or Boston were
praised in the papers, visited by ladies, and, instead
of guano, had their cabins perfumed by champagne.
But the dust is easily washed off; the sea birds smooth
their plumage when they commence their homeWard
fight.
The rocks are bristling with pelicans and the dri-
vers and guano birds are 'too numerous to be men
toned" Acres are covered with them at one time
the blue by themselves, and the white by themselves,
compact bodies, like some great army. The rocks
and caYerns OF the Island are most singular and ro-
mantle. No fairy scene upon the act drop of the
theatre could go beyond them in fanciful extrava-
ganee. The Ballista Isles, seven miles south, are en-
entirely perforated. We rowed through sublime ar
ches, worn by the long swell of the great Pacific, and
into dark domes, filled with loud echoes and voices OF
ten thousand birds. Such antres vast are the palaces
of the sea lions. The guano is dug by the Chinese
coolies or laborers, who are brought here by English
and American ships from their native coast. The
poor fellows are made to believe that they are going
to do well, by engaging to serve as laborers for five
years at a sSreal,' a day, and a scanty allowance of
rice. They fancy, it is said. they are coming to Ia
IN the mines Of California. However this may be, it
Is certain that they are shipped here in foreign YES
sells and transferred to the Peruvian government. 1
have known foreigners who boasted of having been
engaged in the traffic. The government place them
ON these island, avowedly under their original con-
tract, to labor for five years.
Here are about 800 of the unfortunate creatures on
these islands at a time; as fast as death thins them
out, the number is increased by new importations.
The labor is severe, much more so than that of the
slaves on the southern plantations. They are kept
at hard work in the hot sun throughout the day.