The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-29
NEW YUEE HERALD. NoNc1Y JuLY %, 1851.
CHI z
SPECIAL coRaespouufncs or THE HEaAlD.

The latest sensation here has been the reported failure
Of the great guano speculation inauguraed at hexlones
some months since The vast deposits Of guano q Mex
ilones between Bolivia and Chile have long been sub
ect Of investigation and Of contention between the two
republics each OF which laid claim TO the territory
Ships that venturod Msxillones for the purpose OF
loading seized by Chile. and there are now o. our
Legation In Santiago several claims Of American houses
for damages sustained thersrom. Nexillones 10 in the
midst Of . desert Of sand and rock, isolated
from civilization and accessible only by the
sea, or by long and weary mule paths over
barren mountains and burning plains. The
bay 10 the finest on the coast large enough for an I'M
msnse feet to swing al anchor always calm as lagoon,
and abounds with fish Of the finest quality. The guano
deposit two miles from the beach and two thousand
one hundred feet high II s not good as the Chincha
Islands guano, but stil 10 excellent fertAser and
eventually must become great article Of trade. a. the
Chinchas viii be exhausted in very few years. Until
the recent attempt open this work. the only means Of
obtaining the guano was by Transporting II on mules TO
the clns and thence running II down to the beach In
sacks sung cables. Last year Bolivia and Chile made
treaty dividing the disputed territory and forming an
agreement by which the expectation Of the guano should
be shared equally by the two governments Tho terms
Of that treaty were published In the HERALD at
the time. and IL is unnecessary now to give
i,s details Shortly afterwards there appeared here
certain Baron dc Ia Riviere. who represented himself
as being the agent for the French house OF Armand
Co.. and who proposed to open the guano mines
on grand scale. The first thing done was 70 obtain
from the Chilean government q large sum Of money,
variousy estimated at from $500 900 TO II is
impossible 10 ascertain correctly how much the Baron
did get Congress has lately been ogitang the ques
ton, and called on tho Minister OF Finance for the
amount without receiving other than evasive and unsat
sfactory answen This sum was sort Of loan but was
70 be repaid in arms and II possible couple Of small
French vessels for the Chilean navy The Baron speedily
concluded contract with an enterprisng American to
build the necessary wharves and houses shoot six
hundred feet long from the cliff to the beach, and rail-
way from the guano TO the shoot The contractor went
to California, purchased vast quantities Of lumber and
returning put three hundred men at work. long
stone wall was built, the face Of the cliffs
cut away, houses were put up and for q time
everything went swimminay. The Bolivian authori-
ties with great ceremony, In which the Church bore
prominent pars laid out town. and the future city Of
Mexllones became the theme Of conversation ell along
the coast
The guano deposit described being in the form Of
an immense hill, with various strata differing In rich
ness but all sufficiently valuable for expectation Back
Of the guano, among the mountains are rich copper
mines, long known TO have existed, bat unworked In
consequence Of the difficulties 70 be met In supporting
life In that arid region and in supplying coal and water
for machinery. Tho opening Of the guano trade and
establishment Of city on the beautiful bay was to have
afforded . reliable base Of operations for extensive
mining and the Msxllones region was expected 70 BE-
come, ngurativsly land Of gold IN the midst q the
drawn by him on ths French house were protested
cOo v y each
csssve steamer and kept three hundred q work
upon promises until hope failed and the conviction BE-
certain that funds 10 b had Immediately,
II a all The wurk men were discharged with "due bills
and sent to the little Of Coba In Tho saltpesrs 70.
and me soaking Of the town became imminsntthat
the Authorities loaned the contractor with which
ss e sna for no
whole afAr IL Involved in mystery, OF which the FOL
lowing explanaion viii give some idea:-Ihe gusne wa.
ton; loading would have cost few cents per ton more
bat taking al expenses into consideration ship wouls
without having paid mOrs shan eleven dollars per 70
her guanc. Freight from Ceoua che nearest port Z
rnos' S0. pr ss e TIA. ao sS
have cost abou $27 per ton Gusno Of better quality
shown By tfs best analyses, was selling in France ..
least sis per tom minus Custom House dues France.
The export duties here included In the $40 paid
suan eoi sa from s and 80 70 sS7 per
not 70 DO expected at ailthe shippers would then be
soGs 70
every dsvero nd the exclusive privilege for con-
densng water and sealing merchandise IN me new city
which the guano and copper trade would open, and aiss
received presents from the authorities large numbe
Of Ghe valuable tvuildng lets laid out in the embry
nesriy comple,ed for ths delivery Of three hnndre'
tons Of goano per day on the wharf that on
ssSSS saa :. us so Tse
is not yet consrGsed but 10 Is not absolutely neces ny
as nifty caris can convey to the shoot aud dscha st
on the wharf hn ndred and nifty 10 three h.
bred per day with casa. There plenty Of sh p
in the Pacific waiting TO load with guano and Il D
strange that with tbs ASSURANCE OF receiving 200
day for delivering grano in which only nifty carts and
few men need 70 BE- empIoye D. the Baron or his Or
should permit The work 10 st op for the
tTfing OF $4,000 This is more singular when the
wealth Of the house Of Arma pd and the privileges
granted for future profits from per and merchandise
are taken into consideration. NNss tho Baron cheat
and swindsrY the question ~ asked on this coast
Nothing is known Of bis antecet tns Some very re-
spectacle Americans here remen ver q Baron de "a
R,vsre who narrowly escaped lyme ting In tho tniled
States few years ago and those mo met that indi-
vidra in New Orleans say this is tee,msn Whio In
never referred to his past fo pa mysterious
manner, that Indicated other desi v toconessl his
seyersi times ne in The houses V Of parties whom
he was negotiating with for an advance Of
money 10 bis proposed scheme, sna a Possess 49,.
atoms and experienced little surpri " ct the tmo
of his commencement Of tho work that should have
such small account to his credit at Va paaiso, and
should have borrowed OF ten aud Cite en- thousand
dollars here there wherever he could me- tsaie such
loans. The he 10 have furnished Shise have
boon heard from, has the Chilean esersmcnt
idea what became OF the fow hundred
dollars intrusted TO him. Was he genuine 'agcnt oil
Armand Co, or was he bold adventurer, tsyipe a
deep game, and, with the outlay OF few vrroyed
thousands At Mexilmcs pocketing two, three or ave
hundred thousand Of tho Chilean government Funds,
loaned lin promise TO furnish arms which he YeU,r
expected TO fulfil These the questions asked hess
from day TO day. He may yet redeem his pledges ba
his long absence and failure 10 communicate with (his\
agents contractors aud creditors here render hist
operations very suspicious There gr vat
deal OF gossip respecting certain valuatNev
jewelry hitch he took with hun 10 Paris at his
pestion have improved and beautled for arsto
cratic families In Santiago but Of THIS prcpareds
10 speak auhorilavey. should be sorry TO wrong The
Baron. and that no yet straighcn out matters
but present affairs present very unpleasant aspect
Tor several parties who riskcd their money his hands
~ we'll for his own reputation
Since my last letter from this place application has
been made the government OF Chile for exclusive
privilege TO extend telegraph line from Panama by mn
American company, within the imits OF Chile. and 10
connsct with the present line In operation from vaira
raiso TO Caldera The names OF the company are not
,iven nor there anything mentioned In the petition
except tho alleged advantages TO 10 Chile too
Darn olfufa and