13 



of dead animal and vegetable matter at the bottom of the ocean, 

 which, as the coast rose, had been so lifted as to appear upon the 

 crests of the islands formed, and from the chemical change which it 

 had undergone during its submergence, and thereafter, had become the 

 substance known as guano. If, however, such a collection of organic 

 remains were acted upon by pressure and heat derived fi'om volcanic 

 sources at the time of, or previous to, its upheaval, the result would 

 be a removal of most of the organic material, and its conversion into 

 Hydro-carbons, such as are found in the Bitumen, while the inorganic 

 portions would remain agglomerated together in the form of a more 

 or less porous shale, mainly made up of the siliceous lorica of such 

 organisms as were common in the waters of the sea in which it was 

 formed. 



He pointed out the fact, that the valuable deposits of guano which 

 are found upon the Pacific coast of South America, are rapidly dis- 

 appearing, and before very long it will become necessarj' to look in a 

 new direction for a supply of this now indispensable material. He 

 was convinced that the sea-bottom would hereafter be the storehouse 

 from which such a want will be supplied. He had, in this connec- 

 tion, been greatly pleased to meet with one account, written by a 

 gentleman who had spent some time at the Chincha Islands, connected 

 with the guano trade, and who had a record of an island which had 

 risen from the bottom of the sea in that locality, during one of the 

 volcanic disturbances so common there, upon the summit of which 

 was found guano. He also called attention to the fact, that although 

 it served very well the purposes of a fertilizer, yet the acciimulation 

 of recent bird droppings of that coast, as well as of our own and of the 

 European, is not guano, and in South America is not known under the 

 same name, but has a peculiar appellation applied to it by the inhabi- 

 tants. 



It was his intention to follow up these investigations as fully as lay 

 in his power, and he called upon scientific observers and collectors, to 

 assist him by means of specimens of guanos, sea-bottoms, algae, 

 anchor muds, and similar material, as the vast scientific and commer- 

 cial importance of the subject warranted him, he considered, in so 

 doinsr. 



GEORGE, W. FAHNESTOCK. 



Our acquaintance with Mr. F. commenced last summer, when he 

 spent a day in Salem, visiting the several objects of interest. His 

 pleasing raannei's, gentlemanly address, and deep interest in insti- 

 tutions for general culture, made a very favorable impression, and 

 resulted in a very pleasant and profitable correspondence and inter- 



