DOB ARCHIVES
Unfortunately,
the lack of a lagoon or protected anchorage
presents very serious problems to the inhabitants of Kili.
The
unfavorable axis of the island (063-240°) in relation to the
prevailing northeast trade winds and the shelving comparatively
narrow reef,
are factors which cause the island to be isolated
during many months of the year.
From December through March
the equatorial front lies to the south,
prevail.
able.
and northeasterly winds
Landing conditions are therefore generally unfavor-
From November into late March it is possible to get a
boat ashore only during a few very brief periods, because of
the large breakers which crash against the rocky beaches.
cannot be loaded and trade goods cannot be off-loaded.
Copra
These
unfavorable surf conditions naturally prevent utilization of
the important marine resources,
which at best are
infinitely
poorer than those of the atoil of Bikini.
The Resettlement on Kili
The ex-Bikini people apparently experienced difficulty in
adjusting to Kili from almost the very beginning.
in part to the different ecological conditions.
This was due
The change
from an atoll existance where marine resources were abundant
and the lagoon and land areas stretched away as far as the eye
could see,
to a small,
isolated island without a lagoon,
and
without the rich marine resources which are found in an atoll
environment,
was drastic.
This psychological attitude toward
Kili was and has continued to be a vital importance in the lack
of adjustment.
The refusal to accept the move to Kili as final