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a lonely root. 
Acoording to the Pilot Notes Gardiner Island is an inaoeeasible 
rook* If others had effected a landing there before our visit, there 
is apparently no record of the faot as we found no note of it either at 
the time or later* 
About six o'cloot one evening in late May* we passed a small 
sampan that had made a land fall on Gardiner Island and was now standing 
away for Maro and Dowsett Reefs* Our course was changed toward the smaller 
vessel in order to learn its name, and Japanese sailors on the little craft 
watched our approach silently, uncertain of our intention. When the name 
of the boat was made out to the satisfaction of our commanding officer 
we turned again to our course and as we fell away the fishermen shouted 
fr n / il waved in evident relief* The boat was the Tajtye Mam , a ^fishing 
vessel out from the port of Honolulu, here six hundred miles from home 
and still headed westward* 
T2v*> 
Shortly after^Gardiner Island was sighted from the mast head, 
and at dust the mass of the two roots that form the island was dimly 
visible on the horizon* We came in slowly to anchor a mile to the south¬ 
west, when by the light of a small moon the summit of the roots appeared 
white as snow from the excrement of its sea birds. 
Though Gardiner had seemed far distant by the dim light of the 
moon at daybreat the following ;aorning* it loomed near at hand^and many 
were our speculations as to the possibility of landing* .after a hasty 
breaicfast our party embarted in two boats and were soon in the lee of the 
island. The main root only 200 yards long was composed of two peats, the 
highest 170 feet high' with a deep cleft between. A snaller root was 
