Journal of Edwin H. Bryan, Jr. while with the Whitney Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History on the schooner France, February to October 1924
Page 197
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by American Museum of Natural History. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
The east beach runs north in a long gentle concave curve, with sandstone slabs and coral rocks toward south, but sand beyond to the N. The reef is 75 to 100 yards wide with a moderate surf. Barrier ridge only 12-14 feet high, covered with prostrate herbs to the edge of beach slope. Roll 19:5 Looking N.N.W. along E. beach. ) Roll 19:6 Looking N.W. from same point, ) Panorama showing the level plain, covered with prostrate herbs; Tournefortia patch at left and large Tournefortia patch in distance, beyond lagoon. Roll 20:1 The S.E. clump of kou, one of a half a dozen such thickets at the south end, dead above, living below, growing in a depression sur- rrounded by a mat of Ipomoea, Boerhaavia, beach runner, bunch grass, Portulaca and Sesuvium. Roll 20:2 The clump of coconuts at the south end and another of the kou thickets, looking W.S.W., the monument on S.W. point possibly visible at left; hollow containing bunch grass and Ipomoea in foreground. Taken from spot where there is a kou thicket 50 feet on each side and two more 100 and 150 feet behind, Roll 20:3 How the cut for the tram line is now covered by kou trees. The red-topped erect herb (No. 29) in the foreground. Fat caterpillar on Ipomoea, similar to one on kou. The coconut palms at the S. end grow in small clump around the margin of a very shallow brackish pool, with small clumps of kou trees. Roll 20:4 One of the clumps and part of the pool, looking W. N.W. of the coconut grove is a long level plane of Sesuvium, stretching N. to the lagoon, with a small pool of nearly fresh water, at which the birds drink, as did I. It was warm but not brackish. Roll 20:5 The fresh water pool and plane of Sesuvium looking N.W. Dead frigate bird alive with large muscid larvae; also beneath were dermestids, small black tenebrionids, the small flat beetle (found . on noni), an earwig and sowbugs and ants. Roll 20:6 An arm of the shallow, salt lagoon, typical of the whole, taken from the S. end looking N.N.W. toward large grove of Tournefortia trees. Roll 21:1 The stone house ruins, looking W. from east wall of large double house.