when a swell carried it against the 
ship. Finally we set out for the 
island with Tiny, a huge coxswain, 
controlling the ten horsepower out- 
board motor. 
As we chugged along at about 5 
knots towards the island, we passed 
over a reef of multi-colored coral 
in very beautiful aquamarine water. 
We had to be constantly alert for 
nearly-emergent coral heads lest 
they tear the raft to shreds or 
smash the motor. We have been lucky 
in our previous landings but I con- 
tinue to fear for the safety of 
those who cannot swim well, al- 
though we always wear lifejackets. 
We landed a little before noon 
after searching for the channel to 
the docking area near an abandon- 
ed military installation. Unload- 
ing our equipment, we stored it 
in a dilapidated tin-roofed shack 
and put our personal gear in the 
tents which we had erected. After 
a short and not particularly delec- 
table snack of C-rations Tiny 
and I went back to the ship 
for Pete and more supplies. This 
trip we had some trouble in clear- 
ing the reef since the tide was 
almost out. We finally got back 
to the ship just before a rain 
squall hit. They had saved some 
chow for us so I ate a second lunch 
aboard ship, knowing full well that 
my diet for the next few days would 
consist primarily of C-rations. 
While the ship's crew fished, 
we loaded the raft and set out for 
the island once more. It was still 
raining, but the cool fresh water 
was welcome after the torrid heat 
of the past few days. As we land- 
ed, Fred and Larry returned from 
their reconnaissance of the island. 
Soon Fred and Doug left camp to 
collect insects while Bob collected 
plant specimens. The rest of us 
straightened up the camp and had a 
brief respite in which we were able 
to catch up on our journals. 
Around 8 PM the others return- 
ed, and the five of us set off to- 
gether to band shorebirds. Pete and 
I had little luck and returned to 
camp to pick up booby banding equip- 
ment, pliers, bands, and a can of 
spray paint. In the next few hours 
he and I banded approximately 100 
Red- footed Boobies. We pulled each 
one off its roost — often twenty 
feet up in a tree — using a long 
stick with a wire loop on the end. 
When we got the bird in our hands, 
we shoved its bead between our legs, 
affixed a band to its leg, sprayed 
a ring of paint around its neck and 
then released it. The bird was- 
painted for two reasons; it made 
it easier to avoid recapturing al- 
ready banded birds, and it made 
these birds conspicuous if they 
turned up on an island where we 
were using a different marking 
system and paint color. 
After trudging what felt like 
twenty miles, we returned to camp 
hoping to sack out but instead were 
sent out to band more birds. Fi- 
nally, sometime after midnight, we 
once again returned to camp, eased 
our tired bodies onto our cots, and 
immediately fell asleep. 
June 6 --- 
I was rudely awakened by 7^00 AM 
when Fred tossed a sleeping bag at 
me. After a hasty breakfast the 
others left in the raft for another 
island a short distance away while 
Bob and I remained behind to col- 
lect fish and plant specimens. 
While we were engaged in this work 
Fairy Terns flew low about our 
heads, and while we were collecting 
fish, small Black-tipped sharks 
