We moved about by ollrabing up the cliffs to the gentler slopes above, 
choosing hand and footholds with care to avoid friable projections. 
Plant life was soant as the slopes were so steep that little soil 
had accumulated and in consequence there were few insects* bpiders* 
however, were abundant. Bed—footed boobies and frigate birds nested 
wherever there were low bushes, blue-faced boobies and two species of 
albatrosses occupied the gentler slopes, while noddies, sooty and gray 
backed terns swarmed wherever thore was the slightest foothold. 
Hihoa, the island we hod Just left, was well Known to tho ancient 
Hawaii an b, but Hecker had no known native name nor does it figure in the 
many ancient stories and legends of that people. Though thus from all 
appearances unknown there are found on this isolated bit of roCiC, far 
below tho horizon from distant Hihoa many signs of occupancy by ancient, 
more or les 3 primitive man. Small shelter oaves soattered over the faces 
of the sloping oliffs showed some signs 
,n oocupany as 
attested by 
occasional bits of stone bowls, a low retaining wall to level the floor, 
or the remains of a primitive fireplace. On one oooasion we carried a 
soreen to one of those slight caverns seventy ^eet above the waves and 
on carefully sifting the earth in its floor recovered squid stones, 
other stone to/ls, sharp-edged fragments of hard rook used perhaps in 
K tan 
bone fish hooks, some stone bowls, and human leg bones charred 
by fire. These, though exciting the imagination became ordinary with 
