MALDEN ISLAND AND ITS GUANO

Colonist, Volume IX, Issue 875, 20 March 1866, Page 4

MALDEN ISLAND AND ITS GUANO

DEPOSITS.

(From the Melbourne Argus.)

MiLDEN Island, a coral formation, of about twelve square miles in extent, situated in the Southern Pacific Ocean, in lat. 3 cleg. 58 mm. 30 sec. S., and lon. 155 deg. W., is one of the newest sources from which the world obtains its supply of guano. Little probably is known of the place in Great Britain, and still less knowledge is possessed on the subject here, although a Melbourne firm has been in the enjoyment of a lease of the island from the British Crown for more than eighteen months, and has carried on operations there for a similar period. Maiden Island has occupied a place on the map for over thirty years. It was discovered in 1825 by Lord Byron (Geo. Anson), then commanding 11.M.5. Blonde, which was returning from a cruise to the Sandwich Islands. The commander sent a boat ashore, but made uo prolonged examination of the place. He ascertained, however, that the spot, though uninhabited, had been once the residence of human beings; for he found in many places what appeared to be the remains of heathen places of worship. These rude temples consisted of platforms raised to a height of about three feet, and surrounded by wrought blocks of coral, which are placed edgeways, and bear a striking resemblance in shape to very high kerbstones. In the centre of each platform stands a square block, of coral, which it is supposed was occupied by the priest during the performance of religious ceremonies. Explorations made by the present occupants of the island have led to further discoveries. Almost in the centre is a large lagoon of salt water, but, unfortunately, none suitable for drinking purposes has yet been found, with the exception of small pools which are left in the hollows of the rocks after raiu. The ground underfoot is composed either of hard coral or guano, and up to the present time no ordinary soil has been discovered, although the existence of several clumps of trees growing through the guano, would indicate its existence at a certain depth. Although within a few degrees of the equator, the island possesses a beautiful climate, due to the ever-blowing trade winds, which temper the heat of the sun during the day, and render the evenings deliciously cool. The island, it may be mentioned, was named after Lieutenant Maiden, the surveying officer of the Blonde. !S Tothwithstanding that the existence of guano at Maiden Island has been known for some years, no attempt was made to turn that knowledge to account until 1861. On the 15th of October of that year the island was taken possession of in Her Majesty's name by Messrs. B. B. Nicholson and Co., of Melbourne, who subsequently obtained from the British Government a " guano licence," giving them the exclusive right of removing guano from the island, subject; to the payment of a royalty of 2s. on every ton shipped. The licensees were also authorised to claim the island as a possession of the Crown, and this duty, which singularly enough was omitted by the discoverer, was performed in due course by the captain of one of the' vessels trading to the island, who acted as Messrs. Nicholson and Co.'s attorney. The Crown tenants were not slow in commencing operations, and as the value of the animal deposits which the islaud contains had been placed beyond doubt by repeated and careful analyses, Messrs. Nicholson and Co. felt justified in incurring a considerable outlay. First of all houses had to be erected for the accommodation of the persons employed in the work, and in the next place it was necessary to construct a tramway two miles in length, for the purpose of bringing the guano down to the beach. Five or six buildings, partly of wood and partly of stone, were pub up near the beach, and as the number of individuals employed is about sixty, it was of course necessary that these structures should be of a rather commodiousl character. South Sea Islanders are chiefly employed, but there are Europeans engaged in the work also, including a manager, an assistant manager, and an analytical chemist; the duty of the latter beiug to examine the guano, and see that only good samples are shipped. The conveyance of the loaded trucks to the beach used to be a task of considerable labor, and it had been determined to obtained horses for the work ; but, luckily, an expedient was hit upon which has altogether removed the difficulty. The trucks are now furnished with large sails, and as thq trade wind blows nearly always straight across the island, the waggons are taken backwards and forwards with equal facility. Another expensive work had to be undertaken. To facilitate the loading of vessels, jetties were required, and two were according constructed, each 140 feet in length. They consist of piles driven obliquely into the sand, and arranged in pairs so that the tops of each set meet, and are bound together. These timbers support a wooden floor, on which a line of rails is laid, so that the trucks can be brought right to the end of the pier, from which, by means of a shoot, their contents are soon transferred to the vessels. Altogether, the works have cost about £12,000, but Messrs. Nicholson and Co. feel no anxiety on the subject of repayment. They have already found a a market for their guano at the Mauritius, in France, and in other parts of Europe, where analyses have been made and the results published. One peculiarity about the island is the excellent anchorage it possesses, an advantage rarely met with on shores of coral formation. In fact, vessels visiting some of the guano-producing islands of the Pacific are compelled to lay and off during the whole time they are receiving cargo, which renders loading a process of some difficulty, and makes the employment of vessels of more than very moderate size an actual impossibility. The anchorage at Maiden Island, however, is all that can be desired, and the masters of all the vessels which have visited the place speak of it in the highest terms. Captain Hardwick, who has had twelvemonths' experience of the matter, describes the anchorage as being "perfectly safe," and Captain Langford, of the Bride of the seas, says he could not wish for anything better. This opinion is shared in by Captain Lyle, of the Bruce, and Capt. Lyall, of the Inverugie, a vessel which arrived in Hobson's Bay a week ago with a cargo of guano from the island. As there are no natural obstacles of a formidable nature to retard the operations of the lessees, it may be reasonably expected that a flourish-

ing trade with the Australian colonies will soon be established. In fact, more than a dozen cargoes have already been sent to Europe and the Mauritius, while several thousand tons have already been disposed of in this colony. The principal disadvantages connected with the island are the absence of fresh water and, with the exception of fish, of all descriptions of food. To procure water, an evaporating and condensing apparatus is employed,, which is capable of producing from the sea water 200 gallons of fresh per diem ; and as for provisions, ample supplies are obtained from the vessels trading to the island.

Of the quality of the guano found at Maiden Island, there can be no doubt, and it is rather curious that it contains in large quantities those very substances in which Victorian soil is generally deficient. Some of the samples submitted to analysis have yielded fifty, sixty, seventy, and in some instances, eighty per cent, of phosphate of lime, a substance which is almost entirely absent from much of the soil of this colony. All the reports are of a very satisfactory nature, and prove that the fortunate lessees have obtained a very valuable possession.