Iquiquo, which is aboub fco be attacked by the Government troops.is a seaport town in Peru and at present a stronghold of the insurgents. It is in the department of Tara palu (the locality of Colonel North's famous nitrate fields). In the 25 years from 1850 to 1875 ib rose from a mere fishing village to a place of 20,000 inhabitants. This increase was solely the result of the trade in nitrate and soda, which is found in exhaustless abundance in the neighbouring country. In the rive years, from 1874 to 1878, there was annually exported an averaye of 276,811 tons, and this quantity has been enormously increased since the discovery of the \aluablo quali ties! of nitrate as a manure. At the nitrate factories there is also a very large manufacture of iodine. As there is no cultivable land in the vicinity, all pro visions have fco be imported. The railway projected by Colonel North is now, however, running into the interior, where the land is fertile. In 1885 the town was laid waste by conflagration, and in 1877 was destroyed by a series of earthquakes. The wooden houses which fell ab the first shock took fire, and while the firemen were endeavouring to extinguish the flames an earthquake wave rushed in and carried off the engines. The people suffered very severely from hunger and thirst, the stores and water condenser being both destroyed. Under the directorate of the numerous nitrate companfes established during the last year or co, Idjuique is now a well-built city, with railway ebation, water works, and all modern improvements.
NEWTON POLYTECHNIC.
