218 



they cannot have played a significant part. All this is of greater 

 significance, if we cast a look at the condition of the few guano- 

 deposits that are found in tlie Indian Archipelago. 



For a long time it has been known that guano occurs in the 

 Baars Island, or Kabia ') the west-point of which is situated at 

 6°50'55" S.Lat. and 122°I2'2Ü" E.Long. "). In 1877 an application 

 for preliminar}' exploration was made but "it was found inap- 

 propriate for being granted" '). A|)parently tliat refusal was the 

 consequence of an investigaiion made by J. Bknsbach and G. A. L. 

 W. Sol in the beginning of Dec. 1877 the result of which was not 

 favourable "). Notwithstanding this we read in a report over 1879, 

 that a concession was granted for the time of 10 years against 

 payment of / 1 per bouw (70967, ™') ^o J. H. de Siso and Th. 

 C. Drysdale at Kupang *). According to C. C. Thomp a certain 

 quantity of that guano had already been shipped to England, but 

 the exploration had afterwards to be stopped on account of the 

 depressed market "). 



When Carl Ribbe had however paid a visit to the island in 1882 

 he wrote, that "ein durch die tropischen Regengiisse selir ausgelaugter 

 und deshalb minderwerliger Guano ausgeführt wird." ") At last 

 Max Weber described Kabia as an upheaved coral reef, the rocks 

 and trees of which were covered by a white bed of excrements 

 originating from Siila pisatrLv, Siila fusca and Tacky petes ariël^). 



The second tinding-place of guano has become known by F. H. 

 GuiLLEMARD, who found it on the clitfs of Batu Kapal situated near 

 the north-point of the isle of Lembé (eastward of the N.E. point 

 of the isle of Celebes, but it was taken for chalk "). As appeared 



^) Accurding to H. D. E. Enöelhard the real name is Kawi Eawijang. (Het 

 eiland Saleyer. Bijdr. tot de T. L en Vk. (4) 8. 's Gravenhage 1884, p. 264). 



2) J. A. G. OuDEMANS. Verslag van de bepaling der geographische ligging van 

 punten in Straat Makassar etc. Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie. 31. Batavia 1871, 

 p. 146 (table). 



^) Jaarboek van bet Mijnwezen in Ned. Indie. 1S7S. 2. p. 233. 



■'I J. E. Teysmann. Bekort verslag eener Botanische dienstreis naar bet Gouver- 

 nement Celebes etc. .Natuurk. Tijdsclir. v. Ned. Ind. 30. Batavia 1878, p. 119. 



5) Jaarboek van het Mijnwezen. Amslerdam 1879. 2, p. :201. 



* Tijdschr. voor Nijverheid en Landbouw Ned. Ind 25. Batavia 1880, p. 554. 



^ ÜuAK ScHNEiDE ( (Jakl Ribbe's Reisen in der Südsee. Deutsche geograph. 

 .. iii II o. IJ. fiuel) I 3.'.) p 41 1 



"j iVlaal>c-ha|i|ii| Ier hevnnleiiiij? van hel Natuurk. Onderzoek der Nederl. Koloniën 

 11.. lelii! iN . iS. IviUO, p 7. — Max VVeuek, Uitioduction et descriptiim de l'expé- 

 diliuM. Siboga Expeditie 1. Leiden l.'Ui, p. 9i 



'•*) The Gruise of the Murchesu to Kaïnschatka and New Guinea. 2. 2!d ed. 

 London 18S9, p 333. 



