155 
It has been impossible to record much of the busy activity of my nights 
here on shore at Pingelap, or the full days of work, play and adventure. 
That there should be this lapse in reporting of my work and play at the end 
of this long expedition is rather appropriate. .. .even wise. 
Pingelap Atoll, Eastern Caroline Islands November 26, 1972 
Don, Ivan and I have again landed at 6 p.m. , as the sun was setting across 
the lagoon, with the Alpha Helix this time far out to sea, and we had almost’^ 
a mile of trip in to the reef. On the shore several dozen golden boys faced 
the glowing horizon and we had to come in between two large buxom women, 
immersed to their nipples in the sea, who stayed just a few meters off shore 
like walruses. Once on shore, surrounded by the small toddlers of 4 to 8 
and a dozen of our standbys of 10 to 14 there are very few youths of 15-20 
on the island a view out to the sunset and the ship with the two walrus- 
like women in the foreground emerging from the quiet lagoon was simply 
hilarious. Their silouettes made it difficult indeed to see that they were 
women emerging from the surface. 
We had a fine meal of lamb chops and pie on the ship and then came ashore. 
This week we have been eating heavy meals once a day on board the ship, and going 
aboard only at 4 to 4:30 p.m. to return at 6:00 p.m. I usually shower, change 
and 'shave, and this makes the expensive off-shore ship nothing but a fabulous 
luxury which I have never before nor probably never will again have when 
island-based in my work as now. 
This quiet sojourn on Pingelap has been very pleasing and relaxing. We 
have got to know the children here even better than on any of the other islands, 
for we have had far less work to do and far more leisure to spend with them. 
They are the same radiant, tolerant, and immensely tactful and discrete 
children I have learned to know so well in the Western Caroline Islands. The 
languages of Pingelap, similar to that of Ponape, nevertheless has many cog- 
nates with the Ulithi-Woleai dialect of the Ulithi-Woleai-Satawal language. 
I recognize a great many words, and others, once I know them, are clearly 
cognates. The languages are clearly of one family. 
I have now taken a total of 700 feet of cinema about the island. It has 
been a rather desultory activity with very little happening. People are 
lounging about and I have seen very little craft, work or community activity 
at all during these days. Mostly just sitting about, wandering to and from 
church, and hanging about with members of our party. 
My plan for tomorrow is to examine the rest of class 7 and to try to 
get blood specimens from the three goiter patients of the four Pingelapese 
with goiter (one is on Ponape). Don has finger and palm prints and identity 
photos to make for the whole of Classes 8 and 7. I had hoped to so study the 
whole school, but the weekend has made that impossible. 
