♦ 
12 
sever© storms* 
There is little available data on vegetative and physiographic 
changes on this* or any other, island of Pearl and Hermes Reef. 
Thera are apparently no notes from the wrecks in 1822* Brooks, in 
IJ59. says merely that “the largest islands are covered with 
coarse grass and trees 14 • Munro mentions an island “about a mile 
long s with some low vegetation" seen during his visit in 1891^ 
lha is presumably Southeast* of 
On April 26, 1923# Dr. Alexander Wetmore 
recorded in his field notes: “ The island is elongate, about 
900-1000 yards long by 500 yards wide, rising 15 feet above high 
water* Along the western portion the beach is of coral sand. 
Somewhat west of the center there is a tiny, irregular lagoon. A 
band of blackened and eroded limestone forms the southern shore 
here and extends out in a broad hook to the eastward. The island 
rises between 10 and 18 feet at the highest point. Two ridges are 
cohered with clumps of bunch^grass one to two feet tall and a | 
sprawling shrub with thick rounded hirsute leaves of grayish green 
color is abundant. There is a low spot with blackish soil on the 
©astern portion of the north side that evidenl^ly holds water after 
rains, it was now dry. Hear this we found remains of an old camp. 
Upright sticks had apparently been used to support shelters of 
canvas and some rubbish, iron cans etc. lay about, indications 
were that it was a camp of Japanese, perhaps from a wrecked sampan.® 
The physiography of the island has not changed significantly 
in the forty odd years since that description, but the vegetation 
