494 



SEA CHARTS USED IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. 



the breakers of the Kaelil), running- from the north and the south 

 point of the islands to the northeast and southeast. 



10. Ai'^ "foam." They call the different observation distances from 

 an island '-AiV' for example: Djellad-ai. 



(a) Djellad-ai means the distance at which palm trees may be seen 

 from the mast of a canoe, reckoned at about 10 nautical miles. 



(b) Eged-a'i is the distance at which the island may be seen from the 

 canoe, about 15 nautical miles. 



(c) Djug-wi is the distance at which land is no longer visible. 



11. Rear. Rear is the east, that is, not the niao;netic direction, but 

 that from which the Rilib comes. For Rilib also the following terms 

 are used: 



12. iYc* in rear^ that is, "sea from eastward.'' 



13. Ei in Kahin do^ "current before a passage." It means the 

 opposing current which the water flowing out of the lagoons through 

 the movement of the tides occasions. These are often visible for a 



Jude/' 



Fig. 3. — Rolok, Nit in kot, Jiir in okm^. 



distance of 15 nautical miles. The directions are different, Vjut the 

 islanders know these and use them in orienting themselves. The 

 Marshall group are made up chiefl}'- of atolls, or reefs, about the islands, 

 whose continuity is broken by passages. Inside these encircling reefs 

 are found water basins called lagoons, for the most part open, and 

 navigable by large ships. These lagoons have frequently considerable 

 extent; that of Jaluit is 82 miles long from north to south; the greatest 

 width reaches 20 nautical miles. 



Among the charts seen by me and those that have come into my 

 possession, three kinds are to be discriminated: Those that represent 

 the entire group of islands, Kalik-and Ratak-chain together; those 

 which represent only single parts of groups; and those which serve 

 only for general instruction without referring to any particular islands. 



The charts of entire group or of a chain are called Rebbelib; 

 those of smaller sections of groups, Meddo; the instruction charts are 

 termed Mattang. 



