5G4 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



A very common method of 

 conveying the guano to the 

 lighter was by means of the 

 andarivel, an aerial trolley, con- 

 sisting of two stout wire cables 

 suspended between a frame at 

 the top of the island and some 

 convenient rock somewhat re- 

 moved from the shore. 



The boat would be rowed be- 

 neath the lower part of the cable 

 to receive the guano, lowered by 

 pulleys and windlass. Both ends 

 of the line being attached to 

 traveling pulleys, the sacks of 

 guano, descending by gravity, 

 drew the empty sacks back. No 

 power was applied to the wind- 

 lass except to prevent the too- 

 rapid descent of the guano. 



When the lancha was loaded 

 it was rowed out to the vessel, 

 where the tacks were hoisted 

 into the hold. 



HALF-HOUR SHIFTS FOR WORK- 

 MEN LOADING GUANO SHIPS 



The stowing of the guano was 

 the one phase of the work which 

 put a severe test upon human 

 endurance. If the guano was 

 particularly strong, the foreign 

 crews could not be utilized for 

 the task. Native laborers were 

 then relied upon, and even these 

 could remain in the ship's hold 

 for only half an hour or an hour 

 at a time. 



A much more extensive equip- 

 ment was employed on the larger 

 islands of the north. An Amer- 

 ican company, contracting for 

 the Peruvian exporters, had laid 

 lines of track for conveying the 

 guano by tram-cars, and the 

 screening was done from trestles 

 over a lower-level track. A 

 bridge of some length had even 

 been constructed between the 

 main Lobos de Tierra Island 

 and a smaller island near by. 



One could see upon this island 

 several permanent buildings, be- 

 sides the usual laborers' and 

 fishermen's camps. The largest 

 of these contained the offices and 



