Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by American Museum of Natural History.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
high central peak. This shelf has a good soil and is covered with coconut
palms and small cultivated patches, and by native forest which thickly covers
the remainder of the limestone rough slopes. There are a few orange trees.
The central peak, which rises very steeply on all sides, is called
Dillana. Was told that it has an ancient fortified village (Koro Matua) site
on its broad basin-like summit, and that two old trails (Sala matua) lead up
to the top, one from the S.W. up the rounded knife edge ridge and one from the
N.E. Being on the north side, attempted the N.E. approach. The talis slope,
though rough with broken limestone is fairly free from underbrush and offers
no difficulty. The forest is composed for the most part of small trees, of
the lowland forest type. A few small moths, but other insects scarce. Land-
shells not abundant, but a few both on green leaves and rock face. Cycads
quite numerous toward top of slope. Also considerable Pandanus.
The last 100 feet over most of the sides is a sheer drop. There is a
small gap on the N.E. which allows one to clamber up from the top of the slope
to the rim. This route was utilized by the former inhabitants, some portions
of the ancient trail remaining.
The summit is a shallow basin about 300 to 400 yards across, nearly
circular and sloping gently toward the S.W. where the rim is absent.
Roll 72:5 Looking S.S.W. across the summit basin of Dillana from the
(11584) highest point (1030') which is on the N.E.
The top was fully as difficult to traverse as the slope, being eroded
into jagged mounds and sheer walled pot-holes, - typical bad-land formation.
Toward the west side there are larger pockets with good soil. Worked over
half way across searching in vain for signs of the ancient village, which is
probably on the south-west side at the top of the better approach.
The summit is densely wooded. The air was full of the chirping of small
birds, and numbers of white butterflies floated lazily from tree to tree, hover-
ing especially about the lehuas, - a mass of brilliant red bloom.