unxnown to the members of the crev,
it was going to get much worse,
for, on tue morning of farch 1, 1954,
Ac 11°
°
.
-
the sun rose twice.
J9' north latitude and 166° 54
8'
east lonsitude, lies an
atoll known at one time py the name of the great Russian composer
"Riaski-korsakoff,'' known to the Japanese as "Rongorappu To", but best
—,
simply--Rongelap.
bem
aquare miles, tue yreat bowl of Rongelap Lagoon itself covers more than
Bet,
Knovn to its inhanbitants as Rongelalappelap, Ronjlap, Ronge lappelap, or,
Wnile the Lucky Dragon fishermen still dozed halfway between sleep
© miclar
is tyvnical of man atolls.
Composed of 61
scattered islands along its necklace-like rim, which total only 647
367 square miles.
Ieee
a
deena,
and avareness, tue 64 zen, women and cnuildren of Tongelap--Llike most
island people--arese early to start tne day. The vonen vould nave kindled
{ires to cook pandanus or arrovroot for tie day's meals and to recook
fisu, Lf any, left over from the nignt before, while children vould still
ve drovsing and the men vould be starting to repair fishing gear or canoes
pa
> mae
i=
beer
for a fishing trip or planning wilere they would begin collecting and
husking dried coconuts to make copra for tre field trip vessel's next call.
One particular person on tnis island on this morning had reason to be
contenplative. ne was Joun Anjain, the magistrate.
uave crossed his consciousness that morning:
ifany thoughts must
the needs of his wife--
‘a
=
aeemeed
me
»
=
tale >
;
especially that of his new son, Lekoj who was one year old--the island
work to be done, council meetings,
come the way of tne magistrate.
land and personal disputes which often
Ue was probably wondering when the 18
people on Ailinginae, some 20 miles to the soutnwest, would be returning
to Rongelap from their fishing and copra-making party.
66
qa.