PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED unknown to tne members of the crew, it was going to get much worse, for, on tue morning of .farcn 1, 1954, the sun rose twice. . 8! , At 11° ° 09' ' north latitude and 166° 54° east lonsitude, lies an atoll known at one time by the name of the great Russian composer "Rimski-korsakoff,'’ known to the Japanese as "Rongorappu To", but best snown to its inhanitants as Rongelalappelap, PRonjlan, Ronge lappelap, or, simply--Rongelap. ~omiclar is tynical of mans atolls, Composed of 61 scattered islands along its necklace-like rim, which total only 647 “gquare miles, tue great bowl of Rongelap Lagoon itself covers more than 367 square miles. While the Lucky Dragon fishermen still dozed halfway betveen sleen and awareness, tne 64 nen, women and cauildren of Tongelap--like most island people~-arose carly to start tue day. The women vould have kindled fires to cook. pandanus or arrovroot for tie day's meals and to recook fisa, if any, left over from the night before, while children ould still ve drovsing and the men would be starting to repair fishing gear or canoes for a fishing trip or planning where they would begin collecting and nusking dried coconuts to make copra for tue field trip vessel's next call. One particular person on tnis island on this morning had reason to he contemplative. tic was QM Cie magistrate. nave crossed his consciousness that morning: ‘any thoughts must the needs of his wife-- especially tiiat of his new son, Q@jwho was one year old--the island work to be done, council meetings, land and personal disputes which often come the way of tne magistrate. lle was probably wondering when the 18 people on Ailinginae, some 20 miles to the southwest, would be returning to Rongelap from their fishing and copra-making party. 66: [O14b12