Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-06
THE AMERICAN GUANO ISLANDS.


Commodore Mervino expected to find other
than bird-dHng, which be calls bird-Iime, We
are at loss to conjecture. And yet we find
him returning from long voyage across the
Pacific Ocean, repeating to the Navy Depart
ment the failure Of the expedition, when the
very article he was in search Of, he found COW
ering the island
Some three years ago the attention of capi-
talsts In New York was directed towards GER
tain Islands IN the Pacific supposed to contain
uep1slts Oh guano, and after strong solicitation
on the part Of some Of her citizens interested in
the project OF procuring this guano, the United
States government gave orders to their Com
nodore commanding in the Pacific to cause
those islands 10 be examined. On the 18th of
January, 1856, Commodore Mervine sailed from
san Francisco in the frigate Independence
touching at Ii 10 and Honolulu on his route
having been ordered by the Secretary of the
Navy to take possession of Jarvis and New
Nantucket Islands in the name Of the United
States government, and also to survey the same
and bring home specimens Of the guanO On
reaching Valparaiso, the Commodore reported
TO the Navy Department, which report ap-
peared In the Washington papers Of Sept ii,
and was printed IN our paper of December | =,
1870. IL appears from his report that he only
visited New Nantucket Island, of which he
says:
iHtOHsS HhlcIesl dppedleu 10 perVdue all
minds, fore and aft as the ship neered the
promised = Ell Dorado" of the mercantile and
agricultural Interests Of our country The de-
lusion, however, was but transitOry a nearer
view revealed TO our astOnished vision the
whole island covered with deep green mantle
OF luxurlant vegetation, Indicative, certainly
Of the strength OF the soil, and heavy rains
common IN this locality, as also OF the worth
lessnesS OF the deposit thereon as an article of
commerce.
- The value of guanO is, believe determined
by the amount OF ammonia which ii contains
which Il generated by successive deposits of
bird lime In ralnless districts. That there is 4
large deposit of bird lime OH the island in a
state of decomposition, the vegetation and great
number OF birds lowering over it abundanliy
attest- Ihe latter circumstance, and the loca
ton Of the island, are the only facts in the
whole statement, as sworn to by Baker and
Lucas, that correspond with our observations
70 Tar as 1t was practicable to ascertain the
same.
= The Island is surrounded by dangerous
reel, on which the sea breaks very heavily
and extends all the way To the shore The
ship ran along the reef from the northeast end
10 the southwest or lee side rs close to the
breakers as it wss prudent to oapproach-within
about two ships length, where 1t was repre-
sented anchorage would be found. No bottom
however, was found with fifty fathoms of line
and 1t is believed there is not any outside of
the reef or inside sufficient for vessel of any
draught, nor was there any perceptible passage
through or over the reef, without incurripp
great hazard to lite
True, there was evidence of its having been
landed upon and occupied prior to our visit in
the erection of flagstaff on the centre of the
island, and kind of lookout place on the
northeast end, but no visible signs of any ner-
son were discovered and those by whom these
were erected, must have effected landing un-
der more favorable auspices than when visited
by us"
He left this island without efecting a land
Ing by the agency Of his officers or allowing
Mr.. Benson TO attempt it in a ships boat. with
volunteer crew; and being desired by Mr.
Benson, the agent of the company, to visit the
other guano islands, he found his ship was not
adapted to the object he went for, and says:
Being convinced of the utter
impossibility Of beating to windward against
trade wind and strong current, or Of reaching
Twithout pursuing aeircuitous northerly route
abandoned further pursuit, with the inten-
tion OF returning to Valparaiso through the
Southern POlynesian Islands, touching at such
as were accessible to the ship
Thus, from the Commodore report it seems
that the expedition was failure. The Govern
nent mad shown itself ready to respond TO the
call OF Its citizens and aid in the furtherancs of
the interests of commerce. But the man who
had undertaken the duty was not the right
man; for, instead of going to Jarvis Island first.
as he ought to have done, if he really intended
to visit both, he makes for New Nantucket
Island, LOO miles to the leeward, where he
merely sails around what he sneerngy calls
- the III Dorado Of mercantile and agrieultu-
raj interests OF the country The delusiOn
was transitOry, he writes the Secretary Of the
Navy, " for, on applying his eye to his tele-
scope, be made the most marvellous discovery
OF modern times, viz that - the island was
covered with bfTA-lfDle in 4 state Of decomposi-
tiOD. The Commodore would have the Secre-
tary OF the Navy and others To understand that
this bIJa-lIHIe is something entirely distinct
from guanO. But how different is the result
when the telescope is turned end for end and
used "a a microscope, This guanO which at
the distance Of a quarter of 4 mile wore the ap-
peardnce OF = bird-lme i'll n state of dccOmposi-
ton. turns out after the most careful exami-
nation by practical chemists, to be guanO of the
purest kind, as will be seen by the analyses
gwen below.
Now, we contend that Commodore Mcryine is
utterly Incompetent To- judge in the matter of
the quality ~ the deposit Content With merely
taking teiescOpic view Of the islAId he pro-
nOunces the deposit thereon worthless as an ar
tIcle Of fcpmmerce. W hO sent him to decide what
the article was Certainly not the Secretary
Ofthe Navy. And what ualGed him to decide
mat it was worthless He was sent TO survey
The island and prooare specimens ii the alleged
guanO deposit, neither of which duties were
performed by him. As was To be expected, the
result vi his expedition was unsatisfactory 10
the Government and the public, and orders
were re-issued 10 have the islands surveyed and
samples Of the deposit obtained. For this pur-
pose, after many delays, the ship st. Marys
was dispatched.
Ii IL only by the last mail from New York
that We have the result Of the st. Msrys expe-
ditlOn To the islands. We do not find Can't
Davis report published in any of the papers
but only the following abstract of its contents
Letters were received to-day at the Navy De-
partment from Commander Davis who was
sent out by our Government to make SURVEYS
snd soundIngs relative To- some guanO islands
dated Honolulu. October 3, 2SJ1. lie states
that he found nothing on the islands which. in
the opinion of DIR. Taylor and himself re-
sembled guano. He selected several samples of
the soil from a variety Of places, fully to Illus
tr.te the character Of the depOsits.-N. \.
Herald, Der. ,