The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-05-24
hsapine Screened ouano for Tran sfer to Mainland.

; Tran sfer to MAINLAND.
very uniformly spaced, averaging near.
~ three to the square yard. and not
yard Of ground within the outside
limits Of the rookery Is unoccupied
In form and arrangement the nests ap-
pear as heavy rolled-rim basins stuck |
into the hillside.
The guanay well deserves Its COM |
mon name. Its gregarious habit, its
choice Of the level places or more |
gentle slopes for nesting grounds. and
its custom OF remaining on the is
lands great part Of. the time all COM
bine to cause the formation Of enor-
nous deposits Of guano. from which
there Is little natural wastA In the
region where this bird Is most album
dant. about the Chinchas and Bal.
lestas islands, the climate conditions
are most favorable to the preservation
Of the nitrates. It is doubtful II the
guano Of the Chinchas and Ballestas
islands Is ever wet from atmospheric
moisture. A pair Of guanays. with
their offspring, produce nearly $1.5O
worth Of guano per year.
How the Work 10 Done.
The guano workers are practically
all Peruvians of the ancient stock. and
| many of them come down from tho
mountains to engage in this work.
Often there are few in the camp who
can speak Spanish and the foreman
can communicate with the employees
| only by signs or through an interpre-
| ter.
The extraction Of suano Is a very
simple process. Where the material
is comparatively recent, the only I'M
plements required are the pick and
the shovel, a screen and few sacks.
The surface cake Is first broken up
and thrown into small heaps. Where
| several contractors have a concession
from the government covering the
same island, there Is much rivalry In
getting the best guano mounded, for
this is the only recognized method OF
establishing a claim to particular
field.
The guano is subsequently pitched
through slanting wire screens to re-
move the gravel. and then sacked fol-
embarkation by lanchas, which are
strongly constructed lighters in the
form of rowboats, adapted for use in
the heavy swell liable to prevail about
the Islands.
A very common method Of convey
ing the guano to the lighter is by mean:
of the andarivel, an aerial trolley CON
sisting of two stout wire cables sus
pended between a frame at the top Of
the island and some convenient rocl
somewhat removed from the shore
The boat is rowed beneath the lowel
part Of the cable to receive the guano
, lowered by pulleys and windlass. Bot
, ends of the line being attached II
travelling pulleys, the sacks OF guano
! descending by gravity. draw the empt'
, sacks back. No power Is applied Z
, the windlass except to prevent tn
, too-rapid descent Of the guano. Whe'
the lancha Is loaded 1t Is rowed on
TO the vessel. where the sacks ar
o hoisted into the hold.
A much more extensive eQuipmen
ia found on the larger Islands OF tn
a north. An American company. COT
, tracing for the Peruvian exporter
has laid lines Of track for conveytn
, the euano By tram-carA and the screeE
ing Is done from trestles Over lowe
level track.
Il By far the greatest portion OF tn
\ euano that has been exported COZ
sisted Of the ancient deposits. Gale
uminerar guano. which In place
:, covered the islands to great depth
;, This has been simply stripped ava
untIl scarcely any Of the old guano r
"a mains except some OF the lowe
!. cradles that scarcely justify export
n ton.
II IL within the bounds Of possibili
;, that additional deposits. buried D
"a meath the surface, may yet be locate
, Unless this be the case. the tndustl
:, ia permanently reduced to the annu
!, deposits, which scarcely exceed u
demands Of Peruvian agriculture
;,s presenr condition. without provi
~ nv for the great future development
~ IN land cultivation in that count
"A that must follow sooner or later WI
re- the adoption Of more elaborate $!
II. tens Of irrigation.
!, Though the important birds ha
been greatly reduced in numbers.
II, Ia reasonable to expect a substant
a. increase under natural conditions,
10 interference with the breeding be
~, duced to the minimum consistent VI
the utilization Of tho dcpositA