PEINCIPAL PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS. 



45 



10000 ! 



Mejillones Guano.— This guano, so appreciated formerly, is now 

 only of historical interest. From the rocky coast, for a length of 

 alrnost twenty-five miles, which Bohvia has conquered from Peru 

 and Chili, there starts a promontory about ten miles long which 

 juts into the sea for a length of three miles, under the tropic 

 of Capricorn, the rocks of which form a shade to the Bay of Morena 

 on the south, and to the Bay of Mejillones on the north. This 

 latter bay, well-sheltered from wind and wave by the point of 

 Leading Bluff Peninsula, forms an excellent harbour, into which 

 the ships come to load guano. The country, moreover, is almost 

 unhealthy. The complete absence of rain, the frequency of violent 

 winds and dense fogs, which last for ten hours, followed by a torrid 

 heat under a brazen sky, a rocky, sandy soil void of all vegetation, 

 and above all, the want of potable water, renders a sojourn in these 

 tracts exceedingly trying. The inhabitants of the capital— the 

 number of which was formerly very small, and has not increased 

 by the working of the guano — are revictualled by the Pacific 

 steamers, which call there and possess coaling-stations. Water is 

 got by distilling sea water. The rocky peninsula, of an average 

 height of 350 to 400 metres, looks like a sandy plain, only its 

 promontory which protects the bay is more elevated, for it rises to 

 100 metres (5640 feet) to the west of the town ; to the north of this 

 hill is the culminating point of the promontory, called Morro de 

 Mejillones, of a height of 866 metres (2730 ft.). On the slope of this 

 mountain, on the bay side, is the guano deposit. It is reached by 

 a long road from the town, winding round the mountain. The 

 principal deposit is found about 560 metres (1836 feet) above sea- 

 level on the flank of the mountain ; in several points it is 14 metres, 

 sav 46 feet thick. The published information on the extent of these 



