THE GUANO BEDS OF PERU.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 336, 10 July 1875, Page 3

THE GUANO BEDS OF PER U.

Advices from Callao give glowing descriptions of new guano discoveries already announced to have been made in Peru. They are described by one journal as “ another airow of good fortune in the already wellfilled quiver holding the wealth of Peru.” The situation of the deposit is stated to be a few leagues to the south of Iquique. The beds are estimated to contain 20,000,000 tons. The quality is “ excellent,” although at the same time it is remarked that the guano “ does not possess the same proportion of ammonia as that formerly extracted from the Chinchas.” Extraordinary sessions of Congress are still being held, but the great questions of the guano and nitrate have not yet received definite solution. It is, however, determined—subject to the approval of the Lower House—that several contracts for the sale of the guano shall be made for separate markets, that the sale shall amount in the aggregate to 650,000 tons per annum, that the minimum shall be £5 10s per ton, and that the contracts shall be made for the term of four years. In remarking on the probabilities of the passage of the above measures, the Peruvian papers observe a discreet silence as to by what method the sale of the 650,000 tons annually will be accomplished. The consumption of the fertiliser has never much exceeded 500,000 tons. Regarding the payment of the interest and the sinking fund on the foreign debt at the end of tljc present year, a Bill has been passed to prevent the “ risk of the payment of the interest and sinking fund being temporarily suspended.” The main clause of this document is—“ If pre\ ious to the Bth of September the Government has concluded the guano contracts in conformity with the law to be passed by Congress, the persons who obtain those contracts will in that case meet the interest and sinking fund.”