263 grass; sometimes they are able to capture the set- ting bird. The island measures about 6 miles X 2 and is all grass up from mangroves and coco- nut groves, rising 250 feet in two places; it is all hilly and bare except for a few lone trees, a kind of pine. Nothing else of interest. I think I heard a white-eye singing in a patch of bush; but to date I have not seen one in this group. The island harbors three villages of salt- water citizens who survive with hordes of mosquitoes and sand-flies. At present they live on sago and bananas and some fish, taro and yams not be- ing due for three months. We sailed back across to the ship in jig time with the strong wind. Feb. 23 Two hours pulling up two foul anchors, a testi- mony to the unsheltered state of this coast. With- out the protecting reef we should have been a wreck. Finally under way about 8 o'clock with a fair wind. This increased in strength during the day with rain squalls, and overcast, murky sky. Noddies, sooties, and sunmatras about; the latter nearer the land. One blinding squall that whipped the sea white came upon us off the weather end of Roscel and drove us at