163 SESSION Ht fewer skin lesions and lower body burdens of radionuclides. However, their gamma exposure was probably more in line with what you would expect from the amount of fallout that occurred on the Island. UPTON: Let's assume hypothetically that one could have been able to predict that contamination on Rongelap and to send warning to the natives there. In absence of a shelter, could they have done anything under the circumstances ? CONARD: I can't see how they could have done anything to avoid the whole-body gamma exposure. EISENBUD: CONARD: They could have gone to sea in their canoes. They don't have enough boats to get the population to sea, EISENBUD: this would help. Even if they stood in the lagoon for several hours, DONALDSON: DUNHAM: Yes. They came back and walked in it and got it on the backs They would have to stay there of their feet and got the skin burns. until they were removed. EISENBUD: You would cut down the external gamma dose considerably by just going out in those outriggers., CONARD: What are you going to tell them on the radio, "Everybody go out in the lagoon and stay there?'' FREMONT-SMITH: Exactly. Or what? "Eat fish." EISENBUD: I don't think you could do it without advance preparation. But to answer Art's question, [think there are things that could be done. CONARD: You mean with some advance planning. EISENBUD: Yea. CONARD: I thought he meant under the circumstances as they existed in the village then. If we had contact with then, is there anything that we could have told them to do to protect themselves. Is that what you mean?