Sfatisfics of Guano Exports. 359 



ments which, it will be remembered, Mr. Meyer of Liverpool 

 was making at that period, and which was followed by such 

 surprising results. 



From March to October, 1841, 23 vessels conveyed 6125 

 tons of guano to England, Hamburg, Antwerp, and Bor- 

 deaux. In November of the same year, the English barque 

 B/jron brought to Peru the cheering intelligence that a ton of 

 guano was selling in England for £28 per ton. This totally 

 unexpected and startling result induced the Government, by 

 a decree of 17th November, to declare that the agreement with 

 Messrs. Quiros was cancelled, and fresh offers for the privi- 

 lege of shipping guano were invited from speculators. 



Since that period the exportation of this important manure 

 has attained unprecedented dimensions in every part of the 

 globe. Of late years it has reached the enormous amount of 

 500,000 tons from these islands alone, and the revenue to the 

 Governm^ent has been 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 dollars. 



The contractors sell the guano in Europe for account of the 

 Peruvian Government, and receive for it a commission fee of 

 from 3|- to 4|- per cent, of the gross amount ; for this they 

 get, moreover, paid 5 per cent, of interest for outlays and pe- 

 cuniary advances (pretty considerable) which they make to 

 the native Government. The contracts are generally entered 

 into for four years. 



A complete exploration and survey of the islands was made 

 in 1853 by M. C. Faraguet, a French engineer. According 

 to his report, which was pretty comprehensive, and drawn 



