The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-16
THE AMERICAN GUANo ISLANDS.

! Our readers will remember the interest we
have taken in the discovery of these islands, and
the confidence expressed of the importance OF
these acquisitions to the agriculture OF the coun-
try Like all great discoveries, this has had its
ordeal consequent on the ignorance and prelu-
dice it has met with from the beginning. The
! farmers and shp-owners of the United States
are indebted to the intelligent zeal and energy Of
Alfred G. Benson merchant, of the city of New
! York, for the benefits which will follow the dis
covery of these guano islands 1t was in the year
! 1855, when Mr.. Benson had been ruined by his
enterprise in bringing guano into this country
| from the Lobos Islands, page in the history
of Mr.. Fillmores administration yet to be writ
ten-that he became possessed of the knowledge
eaoz-arad NV CantainS
Michael Baker and Thomas D. Lucas Out OF
the very depths of his ruined fortunes, Mr.. Ben
son created the American Guano Company
and obtained the order of the then Secretary OF
the Navy, Hon. j. c. Dobbin, to the commander
OF the United States Pacific squadron at San
Francisco, requesting him to send the shin
Massachusetts to these guano islands and take
HO"oOooiCAA
vine at once determined to take his flag ship,
the Independence, and go himself and secure
to the mercantile and agricultural interests of
the United States this new " FL Dorado" but
he seems to have had no idea of what euano
was; for when he came in sight of Bakers
Island, called by him New Nantucket. to his
astonishment and profound sorrow, aided by his
spy-glass, he discovered that instead of guano
he was in search of, the island was covered bv
" large deposit Of bird-lime (dung) in state
of decomposition, as the great number of birds
lowering over it abundantly attest" He saws
the delusion was but transitOry," and, believ-
ing the island inaccessible, he returned to the
United States without having visited Jarvis
Island and the other island covered by the
orders Of Secretary Dobbin.
On his arrival Commodore Mervine made
his report to the Secretary of the Navy, in the
language we have cited above, and also wrote
to the New York Commercial Adcertiser. that
" the guano enterprise is a stupeudous fraud
Happily, the Hon. Mr.. Dobbin was not so igno-
of what guano was as was the commander of
the Pacific squadron, and, deeply mortified at
the report thus made by Com. Mervine, he said,
9 the last order he would sign on leaving Office |
should be an order to Commodore Meryine 10
send some one to do what he had failed to do: " |
and it was the last official paper signed By Mr.. |
Secretary Dobbin on the Sd of March, 1857. |
In compliance with this order, Commander |
Davis, in the ship st. Mary's, visited both Jar
Wis and Bakers Islands, and sent home some
barrels, which he said was "mere earth taken
from the islands and in a letter addressed nv
him to the Adrertiser, of Honolulu, Commander
Davis endorses the report made by Commodore
Mervine in these words VIII you have the
goodness to allow me to correct your state
nent, referring to an article which had an
oeared in that paper.) The conclusions and
opinions of Commodore Mervine respecting
New Nantucket (Baker's) Island have been
approved, and not disproved, by the actual
observations of myself and the other officers Of
ne ST. Mary's, who, being there at favorable
eason, were enabled to land at that island."-
signed, Charles H. Davis, Commander of the
United States Ship St. Marys."
Samples of this brd-line in a state Of de.
composition" and which, in the Judgment of
Commander Davis, was mere earth. were sent
the Navy Department and analyzed by or
er OF Mr.. Secretary Toncey at the Smithsonian
Institution and chemists, not having the fear
# these naval commanders before their ewes,
ave reported this bird-lime of Commodore
lervine, and mere earth of Commander Davis.
be OF all guanos the very fertilizer wanted bv
ur farmers for worn-out and sandy soils. 1t is
hown by the analysis of Prof A. A. HAYES of
'oston, Prof. John Torrey of New York. Prot.
:. ID. Gale of Washington, and other eminent
nalytical chemists, that these varieties of
uano contain 10 per cent. of those phospates.
without 0hich," says Liebig ga soil is total.
7 incapable Introducing cereals"
The effect of these naval reports was exceed
ugly disastrous upon the operations of the
american Guano Company, but its President, I
Hired G. Benson, at great sacrifices. sent his ,
pm, Arthur, to the Sandwich Islands, where he !
hartered the schooner Liholiho, and brought