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 231
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by American Museum of Natural History. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Roll 28:2 Large herb carpeted meadow behind the old rest house, looking W.S.W. from beach ridge toward lagoon. On my right and behind me the ocean; at my left a shallow bay of the lagoon runs E. and S.E. right up to the beach ridge, as shown in Roll 28:3 From the same spot, looking E.S.E. sowing S.E. end of the lagoon. One can see over the beach ridge th[e] large waves breaking on the E. point. Roll 28:4 Large surf piling in on the east point. Roll 28:5 Looking S. along beach ridge, from east point; ocean on the left, lagoon on the right; showing thinness of island rim here, and house sites on the beach ridge and small point. Three tumbled-down mound shaped shelters or dugouts, of sandstone slabs in the beach ridge, and one large house site, built of blocks of sandstone 10' by 18' shown in Roll 28:6 Looking W. across length of lagoon from beach ridge at east point, with stone house ruins in foreground. The E. and S.E. reefs are quite wide 150 to 200 yards, with a moderately large suff breaking. The beach is medium high, of sand and sandstone pebbles, with sandstone slabs in places. A little over a mile S.E. of the east point are a pair of narrow but deep lagoon entrances, meeting on the lagoon side, at an angle with a wedge shaped island between. They are about 10-15 yards wide and 300 or so yards long. At the N.E. end of the east entrance stands Mr. Shafer's new rest house, containing a tank of water. About 3/4 mile west by south to W.S.W. is another lagoon entrance, 20 yards wide and 150 yards long, with the one described and photographed yes- terday (26:6 and 27:1) 1/8 mile beyond. This makes a total of four lagoon entrances on the S. side or 21 alltogether which have water in them. Back to Shafer's house along the lagoon beach as yesterday. Spent a very comfortable night, enjoying their hospitality. Total distance around lagoon about 11 or 12 miles. Wednesday, March 26, 1924. Walked down to lagoon with Mr. Shafer who showed me ruins of an old house site and an "artificial hill" of gravel