358 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



I asked the captain of the port if he had received the circu- 

 lar relative to the post office, which I had seen at Islay. He 

 said *^Yes, but as it was promulgated at a time when nobody 

 ruled — when Bolivar, Torre Tagle, and Monteagudo, were all 

 heads of the government, and nobody subordinate, and as 

 Pisco was not a port of entry, he did not trouble himself 

 about it!'' 



CHAPTER XX. 



Guarmey — Ferrol — Samanco — Nepena. 



On the 24th of April 1833, we sailed from Callao, and on 

 the 26th, at ten o'clock, anchored in the Bay of Guarmey. It 

 is a mere indentation of the coast, and is situated in ten degrees 

 and five minutes of south latitude, and fifty-nine and a half 

 minutes of longitude west of Callao. It is of easy ingress and 

 egress, and the anchorage is said to be good. The land to the 

 southward is sterile and precipitous. After doubling round the 

 point, the eye is relieved by an agreeable contrast ; for then the 

 valley comes into view, covered with the bright green foliage 

 of algarrobo and espino trees, which grow about twenty feet 

 high. A small rivulet empties into the southern extremity of 

 the bay, where vessels may take in a supply of fresh water, 

 without much difficulty. The river is from three to four 

 feet deep, and about twenty yards in breadth. It has several 

 branches, some of which pass through beds of saline earths, or 

 salt-licks, that yield, by lixiviation and evaporation, nitre and 

 marine salt. The earth which has been lixiviated and deprived 

 of its nitre, is exposed for a twelvemonth to the atmosphere, and 

 again affords nearly an equal quantity of that important article. 

 The rationale of its formation, is far from being satisfactory, if 



