GUANO 418 GUATEMALA deep ravine, traversed by a mountain stream that in the rainy season is swelled to a foaming torrent. The streets are steep and tortuous, the houses frequently of four or even five stories. The public buildings include a large government palace, a mint, bar- racks, a cathedral, several convents and colleges, an art school, and the Alhon- diga, a public granary. It is a mining town; its handsomest private houses be- long to the wealthy proprietors of mines, and it contains several amalgamation works, others lining the caiion for sev- eral miles. There are also blanket factories and cotton printing works, electric lights and telephones. Pop. about 36,000. GUANO (gwa'no), a grayish-white, yellowish, dark brown, or reddish sub- stance. It is a bone phosphate of lime or osteolite with some impurities. Found in islands off the Peruvian and other South American coasts, also in those off the coast of Africa and elsewhere. Guano from different localities has been differently named. It has been called pyroclasite, pyroguanite, sombrerite, and glaubapatite. Guano is formed by the droppings of multitudinous birds, in se- cluded places where they have been un- disturbed for ages. GUANTANAMO (gwan-tan-a'm5) BAY, a harbor of southern Cuba, 38 miles E. of Santiago. To the right of the entrance is a range of rocky hills; on the left the shore is low and swampy. It was just outside of this bay that United States war vessels, during the early part of the war with Spain, tried to cut the cables which extended from Santiago to Guantanamo and thence to Spain. On May 18, 1898, the "St. Louis" and the tug "Wampatuck" endeavored to get into the mouth of the harbor, but the Spanish batteries and a gunboat in the bay opened up such a severe fire that the "Wampatuck" was forced to with- draw, after grappling a cable about 800 yards from the shore. On June 10, the Ilnited States cruiser "Marblehead" shelled the hills on the right of the bay where the enemy had erected earth- works, and the next day the transport "Panther" landed 600 marines at Cai- manera, Cuba. In July, 1901, Guan- tanamo Bay was selected by the United States Government as the site of one of four projected naval stations on the Cuban coast. The construction was completed in 1916. Pop. of district about 51,100. GUAPORE (gwa-po-ra') , a river of South America, rises in Brazil, and for some distance forms the boundary be- tween Bolivia and Brazil. It unites with the Mamore to form the Madeira. GUABDAFUI (gwar-da-fwe') CAPE, the extreme E. point of the African con- tinent, and the extremity of an immense promontory, the Somali country, stretch- ing seaward in an E. N. E. direction, and washed on the N. W. by the Gulf of Aden and on the S. E. by the Indian Ocean. GUARINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA (gAva-re'ne), an Italian poet; born in Ferrara, Dec. 10, 1537; studied at Pisa, Padua, and Ferrara, and was ap- pointed to a chair at Ferrara. At the age of 30 he accepted service at the court of Ferrara, and was intrusted by Duke Alfonso II. with various diplomatic missions. His chief and most popular work, "The Faithful Swain," passed through 40 editions in the author's life- time, though it is really an imitation of Tasso's "Aminta." He died in Venice, Oct. 4, 1612. GUATAVITA (gwa-ta-ve'ta), a vil- lage of the republic of Colombia, 20 miles N. E. of Bogota. Previous to the Spanish conquest it was a town of gi-eat importance, and on the banks of the Lake of Guatavita near it are the ruins of many once magnificent and venerated Peruvian temples. GUATEMALA (gwa-ta-ma'la) , a re- public of Central America, bounded by Mexico, Belize, Honduras, San Salva- dor, Gulf of Honduras, and the Pacific Ocean; area, 48,290 square miles; pop. about 2,000,000. Number of depart- ments, 22; and capital, Guatemala la Nueva. Pop. 90,000. Topography. — The counti^y is exceed- ingly mountainous and elevated, the main chain of the continuation of the Andes traversing it S. E. to N. W., and sending off numerous branches. Along the main chain are a number of volcanoes, among which are Fuego, over 12,000 feet high, which sends forth torrents of water, and Tajumulco, 14,- 403 feet high. The country is well wa- tered by numerous streams, none of much importance. There are several lakes, the most important being Duke, through which a gi-eat part of the foreign trade of the state is carried on, Amatitlan, Atitlan, and Peten. Climate and Productions. — On the tableland, of which a considerable por- tion of the state is formed, the climate is mild; but in more elevated situations the cold is intense. There is much valu- able timber. The soil generally is of great fertility, producing, according to altitude, soil, etc., maize, wheat, rice,
