Note 363 — Chapter XVIII
Reading edition
In 1858 there were 52 ships loading at the Kooria Mooria islands, off the coast of Arabia. In Jibleea the guano is found coating nearly the whole of the island (about 500,000 tons), white and polished, so as to be very slippery, which is very different from the guano of Peru. In May, 1857, this guano from Jibleea island was analyzed at Bombay by Dr. Giraud, with the following result:—
Water6·88
Azotized matter, with ammoniacal salts38·75
Fixed alkaline salts6·00
Sand26·25
Sulphate of lime3·77
Phosphate of lime18·35
100·00
Thus the quantity of phosphate of lime is very small, and it appears that the rains have washed it down, and that it has formed a stalactitic deposit on the surface of the rock beneath the guano. A cargo of this deposit was shipped and sold at Liverpool for 8l. a ton.
The composition of Peruvian guano is as follows:—
Water13·73
Organic matter and ammoniacal salts53·16
Phosphates23·48
Alkaline salts7·97
Sand1·66
100.00
Of Ichaboe guano:—
Water24·21
Organic matter, and ammoniacal salts39·30
Phosphates30·00
Alkaline salts4·19
Sand2·30
100·00