ride as the swells were working dlaglnally across our path in, when we 
hit the surf w@ tried to get between the "breakers hut, one soon caught 
us snd set us hertah^Pt the be'ch. The beaches are so steep that it is 
impossible to pull the boat up out over the waves when you land, end as 
so soon as we hit the waves begaln to break over the stern filling the 
boat with water snd soaking all the gear. W# had to work like mad 
to get the gear out before it got all wet and had to hal it up 
the steep beach out of the waters beach reach. The wave action was so 
strong that rocks the size of boiling balls were being w shed in end out 
end there was a eontlnuoue brirege of rocks end shells helping our 
ancles end legs as we unloaded the boat. After we had empted to Bob 
♦ . ' r 
and I mamaged to hold it in the surf, 1 ng enough to get it out 
and the sailor got the motor going end off he went. The men on the 
ship said that -«# each time the boat went behind a wave in the surf 
it was lost to view. When the boat came in the second time it caught 
wave futher out and really ceme flying in, again we had to work like made 
to get the gear out as the boat filled up with water from the breaking 
waves* A few trips like these and one big wave and men and gear would 
scatered thorough out the South Pscfic Sea, We set up our camp Just 
north of the light house on the ridge over looking the landing beech 
and by this time it was dark we eat super and did no work this evening. 
We did collect eat very close to the camp, a very thin and sad looking 
specimen, compared to the relativly heathly animale from Howland. 
23 March 1963 
70 
