ROBERT G. SiANDEN • 
Starbuck Island Description 
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Starbuck Island is situated 155°55' West and 5° 
37* South. It is a large , low,flat//island 
exploited in its earlier days for its guano deposit 
Irregular in shape, it is 6)4 miles ling and 2)4 mil* 
wide. It comes to a point at both ends being wides 
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in the middle. There are several small lagoons 
near the easr central part of the island. e 
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nearest land is Maldon Island 128 miles north/ 
Waves break at the edge of the reel and a coral : 
shelf runs in the last 50 yards to the beach. 
Landings can be made almost anywhere there is a bre; 
in thw reef, bur the west end is probably the 
reliable place for calm waters. Strong currents in 
the vecinity of thes island make any landing" 
difficult. 
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The surface of the isl nd isfflat the only irregi 
larities bieng the result of guano work. The 
climate is dry. There are no trees on the island 
just grasses ( Digitaria ) and snail bushes(Sida). 
th at reach 3-^ feet iheight. 
In many places the surface is beach rock not yet 
broken up by the plants or weather. In other 
places there are strips of coarse coral debris that 
look like gravel roads. 
There are no people in the isl nd now. The old 
settlement wa s at the west end of the island 
where the ruins of the coral stome buildings can st: 
be seen* The hull of a wrecked ship//// is still 
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present at South Point • 
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