and l64.*-'30' east longitude. On the way the wind blew from the northeast 

 with forces from 3 to /i and the seas ran rather high. The sky was covered 

 v.'ith broken clouds and there was lightning over a rather broad area but we 

 heard no thunder. There wss no rain either. Thereafter the wind shifted 

 to the south-southwest with a force of 2, and we were visited from time to 

 time by fierce squalls. In a short while a fine rain began to fall and the 

 weather became somewhat milder. The currents were just as described here- 

 inafter in the sections on the various fishing grounds; in +he Equatorial 

 Counter-cuj:-rent it is not unusual to meet with cui^rent speeds of one and 

 one-half knots. At this position we encountered east-northeasterly currents 

 with a speed of one knot. Near Nauru I. we had seen masses of clouds but 

 they were at comparatively high levels and the total cloud cover 7/as small, 

 the air temperature wps high, the seas were not verv large, and the general 

 impression was one of fine v/eather, but at this position the cloud cover 

 was 10, the clouds hung low, the wind was strong, and conditions were bad 

 enough to make one think that one was encountering one of the storms of 

 this area. There were, however, three or four birds circling about near 

 the water, and they helped to lessen somewhat our apprehensions about the 

 weather. 



Our vessel then ran for another two whole days and nights to a posi- 

 tion between the Solomons and the Santa Cruz grouu. After resting (hove- 

 to) for one night we sighted Stewart I. (This island is also extremely 

 low and is located somewhat to the east of its charted position.) Imme- 

 diately thereafter we turned our course back to the northeast. On the way 

 southward the cloud cover was 10, there was no wind, the sea was almost 

 flat calm, and it grev? colder, but after we ti:irned northeast again the 

 weather gradually was restored to normal, the wind and the current were 

 both generally easterly, the wind force was from 3 to 4-> the current 

 velocity was from 1 to 2 knots, cloud cover was 7 tc 9, and lightning 

 was seen far away from time to time. 



From Fishing Station 6 the vessel proceeded toward British-controlled 

 Ocean I. On the way north we found the current running strongly to the 

 eastward (Equatorial Counter-current). For a number of reasons we ran 

 our seventh fishing station south of Ocean I. On our way to this station 

 the mornings and evenings were completely windless and sea conditions 

 reminded one of the Inland Sea of Japan. '.Vhen we first arrived at this 

 station the cloud cover was 6, the wind force was 2, the wind was south- 

 easterly, and the current ran east at 2 knots, but after vie had set the 

 lines a sqtmll came on accompanied by a wind of force 5 and I and most 

 of the crew v/ere able to cleanse our bodies in a natural shower-bath 

 lasting about forty minutes. 



Our vessel then headed north-northv/est so that we could take a look 

 at Ocean I. for oiur information. Te circled the island at a distance 

 of 3 or 4, miles and, the weather being extremely fair at the time, we 

 were able to observe clearly the topography of the island. It is shaped 

 like a bun and gives one the impression of being a very pleasant place to 

 live. 



