NOTICES OF PERU. 359 



we are obliged to look to animal remains for the nitric acid 

 which is contained in the nitre. The original formation might 

 be attributed to that cause, for the whole vicinity has been 

 formerly a cemetery of the aborigines ; but how the earth, after 

 it has been exhausted of nitre, regains it by simple exposure 

 to the air, is a problem which I am not prepared to solve. 



The salt is said to be too strong for the purpose of preserving 

 meat; and sealers say that it is so caustic as to destroy the seal 

 skins salted with it. The extraction of nitre at this place, has 

 been but recently commenced, but promises to be a lucrative 

 business. At present its only market is Lima. 



The chief export, after the nitre, is fire-wood (the espino,) 

 which is sold at Callao at a dollar per quintal — at Guarmey, it 

 is worth two reales and a half. 



Near the beach, were long piles of wood, from which two 

 or three small craft were loading. Two or three ranchos of flag 

 mats, were the only habitations about the landing. The town 

 of Guarmey is about two miles from the bay, situated in the 

 midst of a thickly growing forest of espino and algarrobo trees. 

 A single broad street, kept remarkably clean, forms the vil- 

 lage ; the houses are constructed of flag mats, or reeds, plastered 

 over with mud ; the chapel, which stands at one end of the 

 street, and two or three dwellings, are built of adobes. As we 

 walked through the town, the children that were sprawling 

 about, or playing, got up and gazed at us, either with the thumb 

 stuck in the mouth, or twirling their hands behind them ; the 

 women, whose ugliness was remarkable, came to the doors, 

 and at least fifty lank and worthless curs, broke the silence by 

 their attacks upon us. The whole place had an air of coolness 

 and cleanliness, that are unusual in the small towns along the 

 coast, for every house was very nicely whitewashed. Guarmey 

 contains about three hundred inhabitants, all of whom are In- 

 dians or sambos, with the exception of a dozen whites. The 



only foreigners are General E , with three or four men, 



assisting him in his nitre works. 



So soon as we anchored, I landed, in company with Lt. 



A . We followed the stream, and one or two of its 



branches, crossed some lagoons, shooting ducks and water hens 



