Wetmore—Journal 
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16 
The island of Lisiansky is highest on the north and west where it rises in a 
rounded slope to about 40 feet above sea level to the southward it slopes away 
to a rounded central basin that is encircled by a low rim separating it in all 
sides from the long reach that stretches to the beach. This central depression is 
now dry but probably was formerly the site of a lagoon as at Laysan. The island 
thus may be older than Laysan as its lagoon was entirely filled in. 
The soil is sand with a strong infiltration of guano that compacts the earth and 
stains it brown in many places. On the higher slopes this has formed a firm 
crust that either stretches as a smooth hardened surface or is eroded in pits. 
On the eastern side is a low stretch of limestone rock, that projects along the 
shore. 
At the southern end of the central depression is the remains of an old camp 
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apparently of Japanese construction. Originally there had been a shed here 
with a galvanized iron roof thirty feet long by 12 feet wide. ne or two small 
structures stood nearby. The larger structure had now blown over and only a 
few posts marked the sites of others. About JO five gallon coal oil tins lay 
at one side buried in sand with top or sides eaten away by rust. That the camp 
had been made by Japanese was attested by the method used in construction and 
by ideographs found on stray bits of board nailed to old raftersu. It had 
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been abandoned seven or eight years ago if not longer. 
Our camp is located on the western side toward the southern end of the island. 
On the beach near it was the frame of an old whale-boat. On the eastern side 
of the island near the south end is part of an old sampan and a ship 's dingy. 
The earth is undermined by shearwater holes so that walking is difficult. 
[eastern side] Numbers of turtles were hauled out here, one of them, a female with 
one flipper bitten off leaving the ulna projecting from an open wound. 
Mr. Wildern remained ahhore with me and planted a number of Barringtnnia aslatica 
