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Wetmore--Journal 
irregular rock six feet across on which I jumped as the swells lifted the boat in. 
A little overhanging rock shelf sixty feet above the water offered a little pro¬ 
tection and a ledge in front of it gave just room for our cots... 
Rihoa Island is about 3/4 mile long by roughly l/4 mile wide. Adams Bay, The only 
break in the great precipices that form its sides lies at the center of the island 
and opens to the south and southeast. The bay consists of three bights. Our 
landing was made at the inner point on the easterly side of the middle one and 
our camp is located at the northeast corner of this same bight. The hill slopes 
rise steeply inland from the bay . Three main valleys divided by high sharp 
ridges drain into the three bights and small secondary valleys in addition may 
be traced in the two eastern sections. The rock of the island is entirely volcanic 
with the dikes examined previously on the western face exposed in many places. The 
steep slopes have considerable soil though it is shallow and contains many rocks. 
Vegetation is abundant. 
A woody stemmed shrub, a goose-foot with leaves and inflorescence of a Chenopodium 
is most abundant and covers great areas. It grows from one to three feet high in 
the average, reaching 4-5 feet in sheltered corners. What looks like a Suphorbia 
* « 
is found on the higher slopes and bunch grass occurs in the sides of same of the 
steep ridges. There is a small amount of a woody stemmed legume, a smal lily, a 
% 
pigweed and other plant. In the eastern and western valleys are small groves of 
the Nihoa Palm (Pritchardia) growing from 6 to 30 feet in height. This palm has 
a swollen base, a slender trunk that except where twisted by wind is straight and a 
expanded head with broad fans and an abundant supply of round seeds as large as a 
hickory nut. These trees grow in small clumps on the sides of the slopes in 
several spots high up or in small ( ) spaces in the bottoms of the valleys. 
There are probably 200 or more of them. I noted many sprouting seeds in the soil. 
V 
Found Hihoanfinch and a Tatare. • 
In the eastern valley I found water of poor quality at several points. It 
