72 AVES ISLAND. 



I. 



Extract from a report or letter from Captain N. P. Gihhs, announci7ig 

 'the discovery of guano deposit on Shelton's Isle, (Aves or Bird 

 Island.) 



April 6, 1854. 



Sir: I landed on Aves or Bird Island, and it jproves to be no liarbor, 

 but vessels can anchor on the southwest side of it from one cable's 

 length to a half mile, and not have over eight nor less than five 

 fathoms water clear bottom. There is a he^avy swell setting on the 

 beach all around the key. The key is very much like Arenas, it being 

 a coral formation, and very hard to ascertain the quantity of guano 

 there until it is worked. I don't like to make an estimate for fear I 

 might exaggerate, but I think there is more guano there than there 

 ever was at the former key, and the greater part of decomposed coral 

 such as I have the samples of, which I took about two feet under 

 sample No. 2. I tried in several other places, and found the same. 

 Sample No. 1, I think, is nothing but sand. Of such the northwest 

 part of the key is composed of for two feet deep; then comes No. 4, 

 about the same depth. Under this still comes the decomposed coral, 

 the exact depth I cannot tell, but one part of the key it was from three 

 to four feet. From No. 1, I measured 1,000 feet length by 300 feet 

 breadth. Within these bounds I took No. 2, 80 feet long, 80 feet 

 broad, 2 feet deep; also No. 3, 150 feet long, 50 feet broad, 2 feet 

 deep. Under all these samples is decomposed coral, and you will see 

 by the plan that No. 4 is from the edge of the bank. I was near 

 being deceived in the key until I came to this bank where the sea had 

 washed under it and caved it away about 10 feet deep, so I could see 

 what the key was composed of. • I then tried in several places back 

 and found it the same. There is no one on board of the brig that 

 knows loliat there is there. It will be hard to keep the mate in the 

 dark, for he knows the keys we stopped at in the passage. I made 

 the key at 9 o'clock, after running through the night by dead reckon- 

 ing, and made it to a mile, as I expected. I run by English chart 

 and directions, and I am certain the latitude and longitude here is 

 correct. The mate got a good meridian altitude while I was on shore, 

 and made it 15° 50'. I am confident he made a mistake. The key 

 cannot be seen above eight or nine miles. 



At 8 o'clock on the 4th instant made the Island of Sombrero, and 

 it proves to be a barren rock, without more than fifty birds, and not 

 one bit of guano on it. There is fifteen fathoms all around it, is per- 

 pendicular about thirty feet. It was with a great deal of difficulty I 

 landed; there was but one place where I could get up; there was some 

 grass on the center of the key. After looking this thoroughly over, 

 I lost no time in running for Aneyada, which I made at 5, p. m., of 

 that day. The island is full ten miles long, well wooded, and quite 

 a large village upon it. My West Indies directions told me so before, 

 but the coast pilot did not. So, to make sure, and obey your orders 

 strictly, I went, and found it as here described. I did not land, but 



