344 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



excavation. The neighboring hills on both sides are of pure 

 sand, which is carried by the winds, and deposited on and 

 covers the gnano. The guano of this hill is about a quarter of 

 a league in length, and about three hundred varas high. To 

 extract it, the covering of sand is first removed, and then deep 

 excavations are made. 



The third variety, or white guano, is most esteemed, from 

 being fresh and pure ; it is taken from the numerous islands, 

 lying near the shore, along the whole Peruvian coast. These 

 varieties of guano have several prices ; the red and dark gray, 

 being more abundant, are worth ten reales (^l 25) the fanega 

 of 250 lbs. ; the white, from the port of Mollendo, is sold at 

 two dollars the fanega, and during the war it rose even to 

 seven. 



It seems incredible that these guanos could be deposited by 

 the assemblage of birds that rest together during the night, 

 but wonder ceases when we consider the millions of them, as 

 the Ardeas Phenicopteros, or flamingos, that rise in the air 

 like clouds of many leagues in extent, and that the deposites 

 have been accumulating perhaps ever since the deluge. From 

 the islands of Islay and Jesus, in the years that they are fre- 

 quented by many birds, four and five hundred fanegas of white 

 guano are annually obtained. During these latter years their 

 produce has been very small, the birds having absented them- 

 selves, from the unusual heat of the summers, the want of 

 food, and the firing of guns by many vessels that have visited 

 that port. The proprietors of the guanera, or guano ground of 

 Jesus, were so fully persuaded of this, that they obtained ce- 

 dulas from the Court of Spain, forbidding the entrance of ves- 

 sels into the port, and the birds again returned. Since the 

 opening of the port of Islay, these islands have not yielded a 

 hundred fanegas a year. 



Without the guano, the volcanic and sandy soil of the pro- 

 vince of Arequipa is almost unproductive; but when used, it 

 yields in potatoes forty-five for one, and in maize thirty-five 

 for one. It is so active, that unless watered soon after it is ap- 

 plied round the roots of the plants, it dries them, or, as the 

 country people say, burns them up. 



