Observations on South American and African Guano, 291 



manure, and a manure that appears to be admirably fitted to 

 enrich the exhausted soil of the sugar-growing islands of the 

 West Indies, and to lighten and reward the free labour of the 

 liberated African. 



At the present time, when the attention is so much given to 

 agricultural improvement, and such great exertions are making 

 to increase the productiveness of our own soil, to meet, as it is to 

 be hoped, foreign competition, the discovery of great deposit* 

 of concentrated manure, such as the guano is, may be con- 

 sidered peculiarly fortunate and encouraging. 



As we have few or no good accounts of the localities, and as 

 they are very curious and peculiar, I shall insert a description 

 of one instance in particular, — viz. that of an islet from which 

 some African guano was taken, the composition of which I 

 shall have to notice farther on. 



" The island from whence the guano is taken, is about three 

 miles from the shore, on the south-west coast of Africa. It is 

 a barren rock, about a mile in circumference ; has no soil, or 

 the least sign of vegetation. The guano lies to the depth of 

 about twenty feet, and without any variation in quality. The 

 continent is very sandy, and in high winds (hurricanes, for in- 

 stance) will cover a ship's deck nearly 100 miles from the land. 

 The birds on the island are a kind of penguin, and cannot fly 

 to any distance, if at all, their wings being a kind of fin. It 

 is believed, that the captain of the vessel who brought the 

 guano, was the first human being who set foot on the island, 

 which is very difficult to approach, there being no harbour and 

 a heavy surf. On walking on it, he could scarcely set his foot 

 without treading on the birds, and they took no notice what- 

 ever of him, except pecking at his feet, he being barefoot ; 

 and, on a gun being fired, they merely fluttered a good deal 

 and made much noise. There is no fresh water, it is believed, 

 for some hundreds of miles along the coast, and no rain." 



For this interesting and simple account, I am indebted to 

 a friend, who obtained it from the merchant, the importer of 

 the guano.* 



As in consequence of the increasing demand for guano.f and 



• Mr John Rae, South Castle Street, Liverpool. 



t The price of the Peruvian is about L.li% and the African is offered for L.O 

 a ton. 



