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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1881)
May, 1881. THE WEST SHORE. THE MALE SEAL. The illattrmtioa preceded oa thii peg, a mala teal, it taken from Cent, flmmitiiw'i "Me Tin Mammal of tht Paoiflo Coaat," of a full gad mil, mi individual of balk and itrength, and of a urly xproteiou. Tbee old male era oroel, detpotio wratohea, and tha aooonnt of their;deoda at laid down by 8oammon leaU on to anything bat admiration of them. They light mercUeeely for poiitiooi on tha rookerioe, and they ara alio moat ernel to their female companion!. It ii no uootaal oooarrenoa in tha bight of tha aaaaon to aaa two full-grown malea flgnt by tha hoar, exhibiting maoh taot in their auaulta upon aaob other, both endeavoring to gain advantage by tome adroit movement at tinwa making a eavaga look with their montha, or nailing each other by the fore flipper, or gaining neoka and bodiaa with their eharp, tuak- viewing hie family, toolding thoee wivee which crowd or diitnrb the othera and fteroely driving off tha other. Thia enrveillanoe keep him eotivaly ooenpied. In two or thru daye a'r landing on tha rookery tha young arale appear, weighing about lix poumla aaob. Tha young Mali ara vary vigoroua and aoon begm nuraing. The mother maoifeeta atrong affection for her young. N1TRATK OF 80DA. The diaoovery of nitrate of aoila near Rrowa'a tation, Nov., may lead to rcaulta vaatly im portant to the racilio ilope and to tha oountry at large. Thia valuable aalt baa been found in extenaive bade only in tha proviooe of Tarapaea, among tha billa which akirt tha ooaat of l'eru. Thete beda extend over a territory of 150 miloa. Tha hill are oovared with a light, aandy marl, fuL The" teat la aimpla and edmUeible of no muteka. Tha (uapeoted oryatal or aalt ahould be reduoad to a powder, and intimately mixed with an fjnM proportion ' cluiooj. ZIU, when plaoad upon a heated iron, a rati hot ahovel for inatanoa, will deflagrate will flaah like powder tha Are running from grata to grain in a aimilar manner, Tha compound la inwder minua aulphur. Where it ia luapeoted that the earth ia atrongly impregnated with tha nitrate, take a kettle and nil it two-thirda full of tha earth and tha remainder with water, Heat it, etirring tha while, and when thoroughly mixed and heated, eo that the water will nave beoomeaatn rated with the aalt allow th eolation to aettle. Tha liquid poured olf, tha mud will onntein the aalt, which ia atcnrad by evapora tion. The oryatal la then teated aa before. Tha teal ia aociirato, and may be applied by any one without apparatus A good nitrate mine ia mora valuable than !K If. It rl- -V, -'I'll. - I if"-'-.- . Z". wm like teeth. Bonwtimea eeveral old mala ara tea together oa a eeparate beooh, who ara oat in ovary direction, and apparently had retired from tha maim hard, being unable to oootlnne the fight ia oonaeqoeno of wound received. Tha old mala maintain a rigid enpremary over the young mala. The old one are called by tha aattvee, axarwU (married aaala). Tbaee weloowM to female oa their arrival, and watch over aad protect them and their young until the Utter ara larg enough to be Mt to tha oara of their mother and the young male. The male andar aix year old ara not able to mtini a plao oa th rookery, or keep a harem, and they ara called koUiuekuck (bach, lore). The old maUt Brat appear upoa tba rookaria ia th pairing aaaaoa, and taking their place ' prevent th young male from landing. Too they compel the either to atey ia tha water or go to th apUad above, la locating oa the rookery each aid mate raearve a little mora thaa naara rod of apao for kiaualf and kia 10 or 15wira. Waea th apao all filled the old male walk around omploautly ro THE MALE ARAL. mixed with minute fragment of ahell. Whan thia covering yielda and oraoklee beneath the feet, it indicate the preaeoocof nitrate of aola. On digging a foot or two the aalt ia found, over laid naoally by a etratum of oommoa aalt. Portion of thia nitrate of od ara of a pur aogar-lika whiteneaa. other port loo being eol ored reddiah brown, Umoo yellow anil gray. A large portion of the provincial find employ ment ia extracting and refining the aalt, which i ahippad from liiuino. In IH37 th export too) aggregated 1W.UU0 quintal, Koglaad con tain ing two-third and Kraao one-third. Th nitrate mine hare long been th chief wealth of that taction of th oountry, and their im portance can well be imagined, when it ia re membered that th I'ern-Chilaaa war grew out of diepota over the reveonea of Innee tUlde. 80m time ego th Hlate Mineralogial of Cal ifornia. Mr. Hank, received aamplaaof T"Ul iaad nitrate of aoda from this onaty. Tael prove the aalt to b of good quality and exottd iogly valnabU Mr. Ilaak adrieee proepeotiag Ith deeert refiona, where ewteaoee of voloaua 'actio are preeent, or where alkalia ara pUoti- gold mine The enet nf extracting th aalt at Tarapaea, where It la principally aooorad by th prooaaa of liiivatioa abov deaoribed, I a f oi. own lUckooiog for each 100 lb., labor to aet dowa at 01 eeolei fuel, SH ent tool and now iter whan blotting I moaaaary, 13 ato bran. porUtiua to Iquique, 7ft 00 te, a total of about II. H7. In quantity, tha aalt atll for about H th hundred l. Th profit I apparent, Thoaea to which nitrate of aoda i pat ara aumarana, ItiieubaUlutodfornilrateof poteah mlpm to which it I eloaaly allied, la pranrviag ataaa at ia oaring heme, pickling pork and eom4 beef, th manufaotur of aitri acid aad varia other purpoeea. Owing to Ha dellnqaimnt pmpertiaa, It ha not beea employed ia to aaaa ufaotura of gun powder, allhoo.h it I not known but ia eom vartetia ef eiploaiv It might be employed, if indeed It I aot already. Careful eaaroh ova tha region give over to arid plain and lav beda may rwralt la lb die). ovary of hitherto aaaepeotod aiiaatut wealth. Till Voaamite valley I bow Open to tonrlvt.