ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN No. 72 Report on Tarawa Atoll , Gilbert Islands by Edwin Doran, Jr . Issued by THE PACIFIC SCIENCE BOARD National Academy of Sciences--National. Research Council Washington, D. C . October 15, 1960 TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PHYSICALDESCRIPTION Location and Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Topography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hydrography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OWNERSHIP AND POLITICAL STABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POPULATION ANDCULTURAL ATTITUDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FACILITIES AVAILABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meteorology Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WaterSupply Electric Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sewage and Waste Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maintenance Facili t ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fi re Protection Pol ice Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Housekeeping Facili t ies and Personal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarters and Food Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medical and Dental Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laundry and Cleaning Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recreation Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SELECTEDBIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDIXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix A . Vegetation of Gilbert Islands Appendix B . Key Personnel of Gilbert and Ellice Islands Government . . . . . . . . . . Appendix C . Population of Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) Page APPENDIXES (Cont'd) ........ Appendix D . Some Avoidances to B e Observed in Relations With Natives D-1 Appendix E . Communications in Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 . Map of Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Figure 2 . Schematic Constitution of an Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 3 . Aerial View of Islet Between Bairiki and Nanikai in Tarawa Atoll at Low Tide When Passage Between Islands I s Traversable by Motor Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Figure 4 . Typical Conspicuous Features of an Atoll and I t s Peripheral Reef ..... 7 Figure 5 . Record of Tidal Level in Betio Harbor Basin for Period of 3 to 7 March 1958 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 6 . Idealized Section of Ghyben-Herzburg (Fresh Water) Lens in an Oceanic island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Figure 7 . Physiognomic and Economic Cross-Section of a Typical Island in Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 8 . Secretariat for Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (Headquarters of Resident Commissioner) at Bairiki on Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Figure 9 . Map of Betio Area on Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Figure 10 . Map of Bairiki Area on Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Figure 11 . Map of Bikenibeu Area on Tarawa Atoll ....................... 21 Figure12 . Typical Village on Island in Tarawa Atoll ..................... 23 Figure13 . Map of Bonriki Area on Tarawa Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure14 . Aerial View of Betio Harbor (Looking Southeast) ................. 27 Figure 15 . Map of Betio Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Figure 16 . Boatyard and Ways Operated at Betio by the Wholesale Society . . . . . . . . 31 Figure 17 . Boat Dock at Bairiki. With Launches Alongside and Dragline Working on Harbor Construction in Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Figure18 . Map of Bairiki Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Figure 19 . Unused Mole Near West End of Bonriki Airstrip (Looking Inland From Outer End of Mole in Temaiku Bight) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Figure20 . Interisland Transport Ships Operated by Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (From Left to Right: Nareau. T e Matapula. and Ninikoria) ..... 35 Figure21 . Aerial View of Bonriki Airfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Figure22 . Surface of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Eastward) . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Figure23 . Central Portion of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Northward) ..... 38 Figure24 . West End of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Northward) . . . . . . . . . 38 Figure25 . Slightly Wider Area at West End of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Southeast) (Note Truck With Fire Extinguisher at Extreme Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Figure26 . Map of Seaplane Landing Area North of Bairiki and Nanikai Islands Used by Royal New Zealand Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Figure27 . Land Rover in Passage Between Islands at Low TFde ............. 41 Figure28 . Map of U . S . Meteorological Station at Betio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) ILLUSTRATIONS (Cont'd) Figure 29 . Aerial View of Meteorological Station at Betio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 30 . Buildings in Meteorological Station at Betio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 31 . Transmitter Building at Betio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 32 . Nissen Building Used a s Warehouse Near Dock at Bairiki . . . . . . . . . . Figure 33 . Open Storage Area for Petroleum Products at Betio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 34 . Grade D Government Housing Occupied by Gilbertese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Couple in Foreground Figure 35 . Royal New Zealand Air Force Quarters a t Bairiki (Quarters for Enlisted Men in Center. With Officers' Quarters at Extreme Right and Cook House at Extreme Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 36 Map of Royal New Zealand Air Force Facility at Bairiki Figure 37 . King George V School at Bikenibeu (Assembly Hall a t Right and Administration Building at Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page The author visited Tarawa Atoll, in the Gilbert and Ell ice Islands Colony of the United Kingdom, from 22 to 30 August 1959 to amplify information available in the literature and to acquire firsthand and current knowledge of conditions and facilities on that atoll. T h i s visi t is only a small part of a program of collecting basic data about various parts of the Pac i f i c Ocean which the U. S. Navy may use in i t s long term planning. The type of specific infor- mation which i s of interest and utility to the Navy may a l so be of interest to the broader audience to which th is report i s disseminated. Acknowledgment must be made here of the great ass is tance provided the author by the British authorities on Tarawa. Mr. Roy Davies, Acting Resident Commissioner, and h i s entire staff were most cooperative, and i t was only through th is helpfulness in supplying data and maps that accumulation of a considerable amount of information was possible in such a short time. Pi1YSICAL DESCRIPTION Location and Size Tarawa i s located in the Central Gilbert Islands, about 80 nautical miles north of the equator, at latitude 1?21' N and longitude 172~56 ' F. (the coordinates of Betio Island, near the southwest corner of the atoll). Some SO0 nautical mi lessepara te Tarawa from Kwajalein, northwestward in the Rlarshall Islands, and Tarawa Atoll l i e s 650 nautical miles west of Howland Island and 235 nautical miles northcast of Ocean Island. F a r to the northeast ere Johnston Island (1,400 nautical miles) and 1i6nolulu (2,100 nautical miles). Other atolls of the Gilbert chain l i e in close proximity, botl isoutheast and northwest of Tarawa. Torawa Atoll approxiniates the shape of a right triangle with an east-west basesome 15 nautical miles long, a northwest-southeast hypotenuse about 21 nautical miles long, and a north- south open s ide on the west bordered by rcefs and cot;d heads rather itinn the i s l e t s which form the other two sirics (figure 1). The Gilbcrtcse islanders rccoi:nizc tlic sh:lpc ns rcsetnbliiig that of a typical lateen cnnoe sa i l , the Ilpper yard of which i s collrri T o inairti, , the Inwer yard of wliich i s called Tr Inainnno, and t h r tack of whicl, (soothenst corner of thr atoll) is c :llled T e \\'in Ei. Although the circumference of tlrc atoll is some 58 stntutc tmiles and tlic lagoon area i s approximately 145 souarestatutemiles, the total land area i s estimated at only 7.7 souares ta tu te miles. T l i e s e a and lagoon are c lose together and often visible sin~ultaneously from any location on an islet. Tarawa i s a typical Pac i f i c atoll formed by a narrowstrip of reef and isletssurrounding a central lagoon (figure 2). Because of the general trend of wind and waves.frorn easterly directions, the teef and land on t h i s s i d e are somewhat higher than on the leewardside, but in no cnse do elevations extend more than a few feet above s e a level. The i s l e t s are narrow and occasionally sinuous, sometimes extending for miles in length but with widths mepsured in hundreds of yards. Channelsseparating i s l e t s are often bare at low tide, at which time motor veliicles can be driven -- STATUTE MILES Figure 1. Map of Torowo Atoll. Figure 2. Schematic Constitution of an Atoll. around much of the atoll (figure 3). Bordering the land on both seaward and lagoon sides are con- tinuous expanses of fringing reef, bare at low tide and covered withshallow water a t high tide. These Tarawa reefs are often 400 to 700 yards wide on both the inner and outer sides of islands. I t should he noted that no type of rock other than limestone is exposed in the Gilbert Islands. The form of the rock may vary, however, from solid skeletons of corals cemented with various lime- secreting algae into aso l id limestone platform, to sands and gravels created by erosion, comminu- tion, and subsequent deposition of fragments of corals and algae. Although hills are completely absent and maximum elevations above sea level are on the order of 20 feet, there i s nevertheless a certain irregularity in atoll terrain (figure 4). Near the water on the ocean side, there typically i s found a beach ridge, with steeper slopes toward the sea and more gentle declivities inland toward the center of the island. Elevations in the interior may be a s l i t t le a s 2 to 5 feet, from which a gentle slope again rises to a somewhat higher crest in the vicinity of the lagoon beach. Gradients on the lagoon side are gentle, and the slight elevation above the interior of the island is hardly noticeable. Even the slope down to the edge of the water, the inner side of the lagoon fringing reef, i s quite gentle. On the ocean sides of islands, beaches are moderately steep and are formed of fairly coarse gravel-sized fragments of corals thrown up by the waves. On the lagoon sides, beach materials are finer grained, often approaching a powdery sand in consistency. Where li t t le wave action i s found, a s in Temaiku Bight within the southeast angle of the atoll, the sediments that accumulate are fine grained and form extensive flats of light-colored mud. The reef flats that fringe the land on both ocean and lagoon sides of is le ts are formed by dead corals with thin layers of mud or debris spread over them and occasional boulders scattered about a s relicts of storm waves in the past. Bare at low tide and often with a somewhat unpleasant Figure 3. Aerial View of Islet Betveen Boiriki end Nonikai in Torowa Atoll at L o w Tide When Passage Between Islands Is Traversable by Motor Vehicles. REEF LAGOON ISLAND REEF - - Takcn f r m Atoll Research Bulletin No. 46. Figure 4. Typical Conspicuous Feotures of on Atoll ond I t s Peripheral Reef. smel l from the decomposition of countless tiny organisms.stranded by the low water, the reef f l a t s are covered withseveral feet of water a t high tide. Small wavelets ripple across them and lap up on the beaches after the main force of the waves is broken on the offshore reef'slopes. The oceanward reef margins drop off steeply into the depths, with slopes often a s great a s 45 degrees. Conditions for coral growth are optimal, and the offshore slope i s blanketed with o pro- fuse growth of many varieties. Elongated surge channels, oriented a t rlght angles to the shoreline, give a striped appearance to the reef margin when viewed from the air. In the lagoon, the reefs drop off l e s s steeply, and descend only a short distance to the bottom. T h e Tarawn lagoon h a s an average depth of only 6 to 8 fathoms. Hydrography Offshore.slopes, from the fringing reef down into deep water, are.so.steep around most of Tarawa that .ships cannot possibly anchor. The exception to this.statement i s a.small .shelving area just off the lagoon entrance on the west s i d e of the a to l l in which.ships can find anchorage. The Tarnwa lagoon i s relatively .shallow, in comparlson with many atolls, and h a s depths ranging from a few fathoms to a maximum of about 12 fathoms in restricted areas. Many coral knolls r ise near the:surface, particularly in t h e portion of the lagoon southeast of Bikeman Island. T h e only part of the lagoon that is usable by ships andseap lanes l i e s southwest of a l ine drawn from Banreaba village (Eita Island) through Bikeman lsland. Although in th is area the most dangerous pinnacles have been marked, the IIMS COOK, a Royal Navy survey vesse l , i s now resurveying all obstacles. T h e average tidal range a t Tarawa i s about 4 feet , but the difference between high and low t ides duringspring tidal periods i.s 5.6 fee t and during neaps is 1.8 fee t ( see figure 5). T h e datum used for the rathershort ~ e r i o d s of tidal measurement i s a U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey bench- mark on Betio Island, on which the low waterspring level i s marked. T h e maximum t ide measured thus far on Tarawa occurredon 11 December 1958 and reached 8.05 feet above datum; the minimum measured t ide reached 1.0 feet below datum, thus indicating a maximum recorded tidal range of more than 9.0 feet. (An extremely low and irregular tide was a ~najor contributory cause of the great number of casual t ies suffered by the U. S. Marines in their landing on Betio in November 1943.) Li t t le information i s available on currents in the Tarawa area. It is known, however, that a coastwise current s e t s eas t on the-south s ide of the lagoon, past-Betio, Bairiki, and Teaoraereke, a fact documented by sma l l sp i t s built eastward from the Betio and Bairiki moles and, on 8 larger s c a l e , by the long epstward-stretcliingspit shape of the two i s l e t s themselves. T h e current in the main entrance channel into the lagoon has a s t r eng th of 1.0 to 1.5 knots, changes in direction with the ebb and flow of the tide, but i s no great problen~ toshipping.s ince i t follows the channel axis closely. Because of the.small s ize of islands, low elevation, and porosity of. the coral bedrock, there is nosur faces t r eam anywhere on the atoll. T h e l e n s of fresh water which accumulates and flonts above the sa l t water, a s a ground water tahle on each is le t , must be mentioned a s an important source of fresh water (figure 6). T h e lens tends to be much thicker and to contain fresher water in the centers of i s le ts , whereas on the lagoon and ocean s i d e s and at the long narrow ends of islands, the l e n s tends to decrease in thickness and to contain a greater amount of brackish o r s a l t water. W N MIDNIGHT NOON MIDNIGHT NOON MlDNIGHT NOON MlDNlGHT NOON I Figure 5. Record of Tidal Level in Berio Harbor Basin for Period of 3 to 7 March 1958. FRESl i GROUND X A T E H ._ - - - _ _ - - - - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - - - ZONE OF b , I ~ ~ ~ R E - - - - ----.._______---- SALT WATER - - Taken from Military Geography oi Noithern ?laisiialls. F i g u r e 6. ldeol i red Section of the Ghyben-Herrburg (Fresh Woter) Lens i n on Oceanic Islond. Although excessive use of the fresh water may disturb the lens, and long periods of drought will cause it to gradually disappear, it must b e emphasized a s a significant source of water on islands notable for their water shortage. Climate Tarawa l i e s in c lose proximity to the equator and has a typical oceanic equatorial climate, characterized by mildness and uniformity of temperatures but a considerable variation in rainfall. Throughout the year, afternoon mean temperatures are in the high 80's and nighttime low figures are about 76 degrees; temperatures over 95 and under 68 almost never occur, and the very consis- tent easterly winds moderate the heat and provide a pleasant sensible temperature. T h e mean annual rainfall i s 64 inches, a somewhat deceptive figure s ince the recorded range of annual rain i s from 15 inches (1950) to 115 inches (1948); droughts are a matter of periodic concern in the Central Gilbert Islands. Wind directions are generally from eas t or southeast, with speeds in winter (February). averag- ing 17 knots, in summer about 10 knots. Although many typhoons originate close by, to the north and west of the Gilberts, none has ever been recorded a t Tarawa. Both overcast and cloud-free days are rare, and the normal situation i s a scattered-to-broken system of tradewind woolpack clouds, often building up a s thunderheads over lagoons or during the warmer afternoon period. T h e vegetation of Tarawa may be described in simplest terms a s a man-made forest of coconut palms, planted wherever they will grow. Without question, the coconut palm is the dominant and most characteristic plant on the atoll. Although in the interior the coconut palms grow vertically, reaching heights of 60 to 90 fee t above the ground and casting such a dense shade that other plants often grow beneath them only withconsiderable effort,.alongthe ocean and.lagoon shores they lean out toward the light in long and graceful curves, in places actually extending out over the water. Other plants, of course, are present on the.atol1, one of themos t characteristic,being the :salt bush, 'Scaevola, which occurs in profusion on the ocean beach ridges and to a lesser extent on the 1agoon:side or -sparsely .scattered among the coconuts. Pandanus, with i t s cur ious~st i l t~l ike maze of stems, is found where light is adequate; i t provides both food.and excellent thatch to the natives. A few larger t reessuch a s Pisonia andCalophyllum, with i t s 1arge:symmetrical glossy leaves, arescattered through the interiors of the islets. Mangroves are found-near the.lagoon where mud flats provide a favorab1esituation;their intertwinedstilt roots create almost impene trable swamps. The diagram of figure 7 illustrates some of these relationships, and.appendix A presents details of the plants found on Tarawa. Animal life on Tarawa, if domesticcats and dogs are excluded, i s restricted to small.lizards and rats, but fish of a wide variety.are caught in the open ocean.and.particularly.in.the lagoon. A detailed listing of species i s t o be found in Randall* (1955). Bird.life on Tarawa i s largely restricted toseab i rds . Gracefui white terns, noddies, gannets, and the piraticalfrigate-bird,, 1ong.tailed tropicbirds, shearwaters, and petrels make up thedomi- nen t types. A few 1and.birds migrate through the Gilberts. and.are.to be .seen occasionally. OYJNERSHIP AND POLITICAL STABILITY Tarawa Atoll i s . a part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.of the United Kingdom. The colony, which is under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, at Honiara, Guadalcanal, is administered by a Resident Commissioner, whose headquarters are located in the Secretariat at Bairiki, Tarawa (figure 8). For administrative purposes, the.wlony issubdivided into fourdistricts (Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Ocean Island, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands), each of which is administered by a District Commissioner. The office of the District Commissioner for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands is maintained at Betio, .3 miles west of Bairiki. The Resident Commissioner of thecolony, Mr. M. L. Bemacchi, was on leavea t the time of the author's visit in August 1959. His office wasoccupied by Mr. R. Davies,.Acting Resident Commissioner, whose regular position i s Secretary to Government. Appendix.B l i s t s key personnel of the colonyand their acting and regular.positions.in.the gsvernment. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony has a s much political stability a s perhaps any colony under the British flag. Although a serious strike occurred on Ocean Island in 1948, no such incident has occurred since, and i t would appear that political unrest may be considered non- existent a t Tarawa. * See Selected Bibliography heretn. PHYSIOGRAPHY: BEACH RIDGE I LOWER RIDGE O F R E E F OR 1 R E E F I AREA O F SLIGHTLY LOWER INTERIOR O F ISLAND LAGOONBEACH MUDFLAT OCEAN SIDE I I I VEGETATION AREAS: SCAEVOLA, p ~ l ~ ~ l ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ COCONUTS, OCCASIONALLY PANDANUS. COCONUT, PANDANUS PANDANUS, RARELY PISONIA AND CALOPBYLLUM PEMPHIS, RHIZOPHORA ( COCONUT I ECONOMIC AREAS: Figure 7. Physiognomic and Economic Cross -Secr ion of a Typical ls lond in Torawo Atoll. I COLLECT- FISHWG ING SHEXL IN LAGOON ETC. 1 (COMMON) FISH TRAPS. COLLECTING SHELL FISH VILLAGE AREA C O L L ~ I N G COCOWJTS, PANDANUS FRUIT, PALM FRONrS, BABAl PITS, B R E A D F R m COCONUT TODDY, AND THATCH TREES, ORNAMENTALS Figure 8. Secretariat for Gilbert and El l ice Islands Colony (Headquarters of Resident Commissioner) ot Bair iki on Torowa Atoll. POPULATION AND CULTURAL ATTITUDES The Gilbert and Ell ice Islands Colony is unusual because the Gilbert Islands are inhabited by Micronesian people whereas the Ell ice Islands have a Polynesian population. The nearly 5,000 Polynesians are a minority in the colony a s compared with the nearly 37,000 Gilbertese. With 576 Caucasians and some 8 1 Chinese added, the popnlation of the colony a t the end of 1958 was estimated a t 42,546. As the s e a t of government, Tarawa h a s had a notable influx of population, particularly s ince World War 11, and now has a popnlation of 7,125 persons, of whom 141 are Caucasians. Most of the population i s Gilbertese, but a considerable number of Ell ice Islanders a lso live on the atoll. The greatest concentrations of people, including most of the Caucasians, live on the southern rim of the atoll a t Betio, Bairiki, or Bikenibeu. Figures 9, 10, and 11 are maps of these areas. Details of the colony's population, by islands, and of population trends from 1931 t o 1958 will be found i n appendix C. The available labor force in Tarawa and neighboring atolls i s rather sizeable. Above the needs of the communities themselves, some 300 laborers are available from Tarawa alone, and with short notice it i s possible to obtain 80 from Maiana, 250 from Abaiang, and 130 from Marakei, neighboring atolls. Perhaps 2 per cent of these persons are semiskilled and of use a s carpenters, truck drivers, and such. Although the government i tself cannot ac t a s a recruiter of labor, a local trading firm (Schnltz and Wilder) might take a contract for recruiting a s i t h a s done in the past. Unskilled labor i s paid a t the rate of 7 shil l ings per day (Australian currency, exchanged a t $2.25 per pound) or ?8/5/0 (8 pounds, 5 shillings, 0 pence) per month. For long-term labor a more usual arrangement i s to pay 7 pounds per month and supply food and housing. A local part-Caucasian petson i s usually desirable a s labor boss because of h i s understanding of local customs and work attitudes. Certain Gilbertese cultural attitudes must b e respected if good relations are t o be maintained with local people. Most of these are matters of courtesy common to most cultures; other are localized attitudes. Natives are not allowed by law (voted by themselves) to drink alcoholic beverages; hence, i t i s both illegal and ill-mannered t o offer a native a drink. Since large physical s i ze and manual dexterity are greatly admired, i t i s persons with these qualities who are able t o deal most satisfactorily with the Gilbertese. A se r i e s of other local attitudes that are important for the visitor t o observe i s emphasized by Sir Arthur Grimble (see appendix D), who learned them during years of experience in the area. LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP A typical traverse of an i s le t on Tarawa would show coconut and pandanus occupying positions from just landward of the ocean reef flat to the edge of the lagoon (figure 7). On the lagoon half of the islet, babai p i t s (similar to taro pits) are commonly interspersed with the trees, which here include breadfruit and some ornamental varieties. Villages are characteristically on the lagoon side, a s are the roads or tracks connecting them, and generally contain from 1 5 to 50 houses constructed from palm and pandanus (figure 12). Each Figure 9. Map of Betio Area on Torowo Atoll. Figure 11. Map of Bikenibeu Area on Torawo Atoll. - \ - - - Taken from Atoll Research Bulletin No. 59. Figure 12. Typical Village an Island in Tarawa Atoll. house customarily shelters one family, while the maneaba or community house, the largest structure in the village, i s the meeting place of the village leaders and is used for most manifestations of native group life. L e s s frequently it serves a s a temporary shelter for visitors. With large populations andsmal l land areas, t h e Gilbert Islands have quite high population densities. Tarawa, for example, h a s a density of nearly 1,000 persons per.square mile, and land is a t a premium. Pa rce l s of land aresubdivided often, and a person may hold.severa1 tiny bits, sca t tered not only on various i s l e t s of an atoll but a lso onseve ra l different atolls. T h e typical organization of people into vil lages, with lengthy s t r e t ches of coconut woodland lying between, only .serves to disguise a s i tua t ion in which land is most valuable and often very difficult to acquire. Purchase of land i s possible only for natives themselves, and litigation over land i s the most common type of court action in t h e Gilberts. Leasing of typical coconut land or bush land for governmental purposes i s not a particularly difficult problem but does require a fair amount of time (measured in months). T h e normal rental f e e i s 3 pounds Australian per acre per year and, of course, issupplemented by payment for any damage such a s the cutting of trees. A considerable area of Tarawa i s currently under l ease to the British government. All of Bairiki and Nanikai Islands are leased, but the former is completely utilized by t h e Crown and most of the latter probably will besoon. About60 per cent of Betib Island is leased, but most of the eas ternspi t , on which a t present only scrub and a few coconuts grow, i s unleased and vacant. In the Bikenibeu area, Crown leasehold extends from the leprosarium e a s t to theschoo l and train- ing college area, while a t Bonriki only the airstrip i tself and the adjacent causeway are under Crown l e a s e (figure 13). FACILITIES AVAILABLE Tronsportotion Sea Deep-draft vesse l s cannot enter the Tarawa lagoon but may find anchorage in 12 to 20 fathoms of water just west of the entrance; here they l i e in what i s normally the l e e of the atoll in relative- l y quiet water. The entrance channel to the lagoon h a s a l eas t width of 1,000 fee t and is deep enough to permit vesse l s of 26-foot draft to enter the lagoon proper a t any time; spring t ides will permit vesse ls drawing 28 feet to enter. Pilotage i s available and, although not mandatory, is usually taken by captains who do not have local knowledge. T h e channel i tself and the anchorage area of some 4 square nautical miles west and southwest of Bikeman Island have buoys or beacons marking obstacles (chiefly coral pinnacles). No moorings exist , andvesse l s ride to their own anchors. At present, al l cargo from ships of any s i ze is taken ashore in lighters. Six barges, three with f lat tops and three open, are operated by the Wliolesale Society and range in capacity from 20 to 40 tons. Some eight launches are in use by Government or Wholesale Society, of which three, with lengths of 22 to 35 feet and engines powered a t 20 to 40 horsepower, are capable of handling the barges. With the use of the present.system, i t i s estimated by the Marine Superintendent that t h e cargo-handling capacity of t h e port i s about 500 tons per day. T h e principal harbor a t Tarawa is an artificial one on the north shore of Betio Island (figure 14). A major project for harbor improvement, which i s well advanced, will result in an entrance channel Figure 14. Aerial View of Betio Horbor (Looking Southeast). 95 Feet wide and 10 feet deep and an inner area 13 feet deep alongside the dock (figure 15). Some 300 feet of dock faced with sheet steel piling will have th is 13-foot depth alongside, permitting any colony vesse l to remain tied up a t any s tage of the tide. When completed, the harbor area will h e well lighted, will have power l ines and a transformer on t h e dock, and will have water l ines for docked vesse l s to fill their tanks. (The present system requires water to be taken offshore t o ships in a 15-ton capacity water barge,) Only one small 1-ton mobile crane i s available a t present, and future plans call for ships to handle al l cargo with their own gear. Copra i s t h e principal outgoing bulk cargo, and sugar and flour are the principal incoming bulk cargoes; al l of these are packed in sacks and handled manually. Repair facil i t ies include the Wholesale Society boatyard, which can overhaul vesse l s up to 35 feet in length and can perform woodworking operations, replace planking, and the like. The Government Workshop nearby, which h a s metal working equipment, can repair drive shaf ts and can overhaul engines (figure 16). Figure 15. Mop of Betio Harbor. nWBR STORE a B MWKW 2 r" E l Figure 16. Boatyard and !'lays Operated ot Beqio by the Wholesole Society. Another portion of the harbor development scheme involves improvements to the boat harbor at the northwest corner of Bairiki Island (figure 17). Principal characleristics of the new harbor may be noted on figure 18. Since all connections between the colony headquarters a t Bairiki and the district headquarters and the commercial activity at Betio require boat travel, a system of daily launch schedules, two boats each way, both in mornings and afternoons, h a s been se t up to handle the traffic. A 1-shilling fee discourages joy-riders on the launches. T h e mole extending into Temaikn Bight from near the west end of the Bonriki airstrip i s now unused (figure 19). Some nine ships, totalling 665 tons displacement, are in regular use in the colony for transpor- tation among the islands (figure 20). They range in s i ze from the 300-ton MOANA RAOI to the 10-ton FETUARO. Figure 17. Boat Dock at Boiriki, With Launches Alongside and Dragline Working on Harbor Construction in Background. SCALE (FEET) Figure 18. Map of Bairiki Harbor. Figure 19. Unwed Mole N e w West End of Bonriki Airstrip (Looking Inland From Outer End of Mole in Ternaiku Bight). Figure 20. Interisland Transport Ships Operated by Gilbert and El l ice lslonds Colony (From Left to Right: Noreou, T e Matapulo, end Ninikorio). Air Of the several airfields constructed in the Gilbert l s lands during World War 11, only the one a t Bonriki, near the southeast corner of Tarawa Atoll, remains today. All others, including the former Hawkins Field a t Betio, have been replanted to coconuts and are completely unusable. Bonriki Airfield today consis ts of o n e s i n g l e runway, altitude 9 feet,oriented approximately east-west (97'-277' true) (figure 21). T h e runway i s 7,100 feet long, each end terminating a t the water's edge without overrun. A certain amount of encroachment by coconuts and.scrub h a s t t~ken place along bo ths ides of the runway, particularly about thecen te r of thesou th . s ide , but a clear width of 180 feet is . s td l available for the entire length. T h e runway is made of compacted coral, which i s s t i l l in good condition despite l i t t le maintenancesince the war (figure 22). The bearing -strength i s unknown, but a 4-engine British aircraft landed on the.str ip in early 1959 and a Grumman UF-type amphibian aircraft landed on i t three times in August 1959. American C-54's have used the field repeatedly in recent years. The former fighter strip at Bonriki, extending northeast-southwest and intersecting the main runway, h a s been replanted in coconuts except for a poor road down the center. T h e southeast- northwest taxiway, which formerly connected the eas tedy portions of the two str ips, and the extension of it, in a curve to west and south, which served a s taxiway and parking strip, a tso have been replanted except for a 2-lane automobile road down the center (figure 23). Thus , except for a slightly wider area near the west end of the main airstrip, the airfield h a s no taxiways and no parking area (figures 24 and 25). Except for windsocks a t each end of the runway, the airfield h a s no other facility. Communi- cations from aircraft to the island are with the radios ta t ion a t Betio. When enough notice is giveq, a truck with soda-acid f ire extinguishers i s placed a t the field t o g ivesome measure of f i re protection. Again, when proper notice is given, sma l l quantities of 100,.octane aviation gasoline in drums can be made available a t thr field. A seap lane landing area, used regularly by aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, is laid out in the lagoon to the north of Bairiki Island. A map of thesys tem ofbuoys marking coral pinnacles and indicating the two principal directions for landing and takeoff i s s h o w n in figure 26. Land The road net on Tarawa consis ts of simple.street networks a t Betio and Bairiki and a road extendingfrom Bonriki t o Bairikiwith interruptions a t the channeJs between islands, For about two hours before and after each low tide, the water i s low enough between is lands for vehicles to cross , and i t can be.sajd that a t t hese times a road extends fo r some 15 miles along thesou th s i d e of the atoll (figure 27). Most of the roads were constructed originally by the American forces during World War 11. They consist of compacted coral, ranging from 16 to 24 feet in width. They have been maintained by use of a tractor-towed grader and toppings of reef mud in the chuck holes. T h e materials are tamped by hand because no roller i s available. T h e slight amount of traffic g ives go l i t t le wear that these rather simple maintenance methods su f f l ce to keep t h e roads in good condition. Figure 21. Aerial V iew of Bonriki Airfield. Figure 22. Surface of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Eastward). . A k,,, . 0 : ; r Figure 23. Central Portion of Runwoy at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Northward). Figure 24. West End of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Northword). Figure 25. Slightly Wider Area at West End of Runway at Bonriki Airfield (Looking Southeast) (Note Trvck With Fire Extinguisher mt Extreme Left). 0 BUOY 172' 59' 15" 173' 00' 30" 1 K 0 1 I I t l l l l l l t 1 STATUTE MILES Q BEACON 0 AlRCRAFT BUOYS @ FLASHING RED BEACON Figure 26. Mop of Seoplone Landing Area North of Boir ik i ond Noniko i Islands Used by Royal N e w Zeolond Air Force. Figure 27. Land Rover i n Passage Between lslonds st Low Tide. With the exception of 4 cars and 1 small truck at Betio, all vehicles on Tarawa are owned by the Government or the Wholesale Society. The vehicles are listed a s follows: I Betio 1 16 1 8 I 3 1 4 1 1 / 0 1 Total on Island Maintenance of vehicles is performed at garages operated by the Wholesale Society or Govern- ment a t Bairiki and Betio. The Government Machine Shop at Betio can rebuild engines and perform more complex repairs. Car Bairiki Bikeniheu - Total on Atoll 3-7011 Truck Land Rover Smoll Truck 5 3 24 Ambulance 2 1 - 11 2 1 6 0 0 - 4 1 0 2 0 1 1 No true garage storage exis ts on the atoll, but shelters that keep off sun and rain exist for most vehicles. A gasoline pump at Betio and drums at Bairiki and Bikenibeu supply fuel. Meieorology All.meteorological~services for the colony are operated by the New Zealand Meteorological Service a s part of its responsibilities with thesou th Pac i f i c Air Transport Command, t h e over-all weather coordinating group for the South Pacific. Synoptic observations are made from l0.stations' within the colony, of which Tarawa i s one. Observations are made of temperature, pressure, pilot balloon Rights (Tarawa and Funafuti only), rainfall, and visual observations of windspeed, direc- tion, visibility, and cloud types. Among the instruments at Tarawa are a recording rain gage, recording barograph, and typical thermometers. The colony,staff consis ts of one European and 20 islanders; at Tarawa a re the one European, three observers, and two trainees. T h e observation schedule (local times) c a l l s for piball flights a t 0530, 1030, 1630, and 2400; for synoptic observations a t O?QO, 0900, 1200, 1500, and 1800; and for climatic data at 0900. A United States meteorological .station was maintained on Tarawa intermittently during 1951, 1954, 1956, and 1958 by personnel of Joint T a s k Force SEVEN. During these periods, rawinsonde and radiosonde observations were taken two or four times daily. When t h e station was abandoned in 1958, all the eouipnient was removed and only the buildings were left at the location. T h e map (figure 28) and photographs (figures 29 and 30) present data on t h e past and present conditions of this.station. Communications Radio communicationsin theGi lbe r t and Ell ice Islands Colony are well developed, and regular-schedules are maintained between Tarawa and Honiara, British Solomon ls lauds Protec- torate, and with Nandi and Suva in Fiji. Within the colony, s o m e 34 s t a t i o n s comprise a good communications net and provide for ship-to+shore or aircraft communications. On Tarawa, because of the necess i ty fo r maintaining good communications between individual islands, with their several government offices, a VHF:system i s maintained which connects Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu. T h e HF transmitting and receiving stat ions for Tarawa are located at Betio, toward the west end of the island (figure 31). Considerable detailed technical information on the Tarawa radio commu- nications is given in appendix E. Very l i t t le telephonic communication i s available on the atoll. Two 6 l ine intercom units are utilized between various off ices in the Secretariat a t Bairiki, and a few field telephones connect important points such a s the Secretariat. P a s t Office, and dock area. Betio also h a s a few field telephones connecting similar locations. No open bulk storage facil i t ies are specifically laid out on Tarawa. Although a reasonable amount of space for storage i s available, th is space might not b e in the immediate dock areas at Betio and Bairiki, because these areas are relatively congested. In the Bonriki area, ample open storage area i s available close to the causeway and airfield. Figure 28. Map of U. 5. Meteorological Station ot Betio. Figure 29. Aerial V iew of Meteorologicol Stotion ot Betio. Figure 30. Buildings in Meteorologicol Stotion 01 Betia. 44 Figure 31. Tronsrnitter Building ot Betio. Most covered storage or warehouse capacity on Tarawa is in the form of Nissen (Quonset- type) buildings (figure 32). At Bairiki, f ive large Nissen warehouses (24 by 60 feet) are used for governmental purposes, one covered shed (40 by 75 feet) i s used for lumber storage, and a large Wholesale Society store and storehouse are combined. Storage facil i t ies at Betio comprise eight large Nissen copra sheds or warehouses (40 by 100 feet), a customs shed (40 by 60 feet), about 10 smaller Nissen warehouses (20 by 100 feet), and a thatched timber storage area (about 30 by 50 feet). Most of th is storage area i s filled to capacity. Half or perhaps an entire copra shed (Nissen hut, 40 by 100 feet) might be made available temporarily in c a s e of emergency. Refrigerated storage on Tarawa is limited to two 150-cubic-foot reefers a t Betio, housed in a 24-by-30-foot building. Another 300 cubic feet of storage is expected to be available by October 1959. All petroleum products are now stored in drums at an open-storage area of 150 by 240 fee t (figure 33). However, plans are being considered for bulk storage of POL near the harbor, including a 120,000-gallon tank for ship diesel fuel. Normal stocks of POL products i n 55-gallon (U. S.) drums, are maintained as follows: 55-Gallon Drums 5-Gallon Tins 100-octane aviation gasoline Aviation luhricatiou oil Automobile gasoline Kerosene Figure 32. Nissen Building Used as Warehouse Near Dock a t Boiriki. Figure 33. Open Storage Area for Petroleum Products at Betio. Ship diesel oil Ship lubrication oil Denatured alcohol Sundry specialized greases and o i l s Utilities 55-Gallon Drums $Gallon Tina 2,000 40 80 Water Supply Water supply on Tarawa i s a problem because of low and irregular rainfall, small land area, and lack of surfaces t reams or lakes. T h e bas i c source of water is the freshwater l e n s which overl ies the sa l t water in the substrata of each island. Wells are dug down t o th i s water table. Some 300 wells in all serve the general population for all purposes in the three areas of Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu. Well water i s hard and tends to get progressively more brackish a s a drought period persists. Water trucks, filled from the larger wells, distribute. water to the individ- ual government house tankssevera l times a week. All drinking water for the Caucasian population is rainwater obtained from catchments on the individual houses. I t i s stored in an 800-gallon tank near each kitchen. Even th i s water i s filtered and boiled before it i s used by most Caucasians. Three large cisterns at Bairiki and Betio, which have a capacity in all of about 150,000 gallons, a re used to store water obtained from the government catchment areas. During t h e periods in which the U. S . Meteorological Station on Betio was occupied, al l of the water used by the unit was distilled f romsea water. Elec t r ic P o u e r Supply The electrical systems installed on Tarawa have t h e following character is t~cs : 415 volts, 3 p l ~ a s o s (or 240 volts, 1 phase), 50 cycles per second, with distribution on a 4-wire (3 phases plus neutral) main line. Transformurs arc available which can provide 110 volts for small loads. Betio i s provided with two 82-kilowatt Ruston generators. The peak load i s estimated a t a l i t t le more than 60 kilowatts, leaving one generator ass tandby. In addition, two 19-kilowatt Southern Cross generators are used a s emergency standby equipment for the radio communications facility. Bairiki h a s an 82-kilowatt main generator and a 69-kilowattstandby generator. Bikeniben h a s an 82-kilowatt main generator, a 10-kilowatt s tandby generator foi emergencies in the opera- ting room at the hospital, and a 75-kilowatt generator on order which will b e used a s as tandby. In addition to the government offices, s h o p s , docks, radiostat ion, and other users, power is distributed t o government housing a t the three main government centers. Both Betio and Bairiki have service for about 18 hours per day; Bikenibeu hasse rv ice for about 12 hours per day. Sewage and Waste Disposal Sewage from all Government Grade 3 (Caucasian) and Grade C (top native employees) housing i s disposed of in individua1.septic tank systems, one for each house. All other persons on the atoll use latr ines built out over the lagoon reef and connected by walkways to the,shore. A septic tank,system i s installed at the.site of the U. S. Meteorological Station. Garbage is collected by truck twice a week and i s burned on the reef. The unconsumed remains are carried off by t h e ~ s e a . Maintenance Faci l i t ies T h e principal maintenance facility is the Government Workshop located in the Betio dock area. Available equipment includes two metal lathes, a,shaping machine, a vertical drilling machine, two grindstones, a valve grinder, an electric welding plant, and an oxyacetylene plant. The type of work accomplished here ranges from complete overhaul of d iese l engines (up t o 100 horsepower) t o repair of vehicles and maintenance and repair of generators. Replacing p a r t s i s a problem because a relatively .small s tock is kept on hand. The Wholesale Society (Betio) and the Government (Bairiki) have vehicle maintenance.shops with compressors, grinders, battery-charging equipment, and grease racks or pits. T h e Wholesale Society boatyard a t Betio and the Government carpenter shop a t Bairiki have woodworking machines .such a routers and planers. Fire Protection There is no formal group of ~ e r s o n n e l continuously on duty for fire protection. When an alarm is given, a group of laborers on each island assembles for fire-fighting under the.supervision of a Caucasian. The two trucks (at Betio and Bairiki) which are used dur ingthe day for distribution of water to houses are left filled each night for u s e in an emergency. In addition, there are four 35-gallon extinguishers on wheels (2 at Bairiki, 1 each a t Betio and Bikenibeu). As further pro- tection, each Grade B house h a s two hand extinguishers (carbon tetrachloride and-soda acid), and each Grade C house h a s a s o d a acid extinguisher. Among thesmal ler houses, a.soda acid extinguisher is maintained for every 10.structures. Buckets are kept a t hand in al l main buildings. An alarm.system is maintained. With the equipment outlined above, there have been Pew -serious 'fires despite the apparent hazard of thatched roofs on most buildings. Pol ice Protection Although the Superintendent of Po l i ce for t h e Colony is located on Ocean Island, the principal police officer for the Gilbert and Ell ice Islands District, entitled Inspector of Police, h a s h i s headquarters on Tarawa. The forces for each of the main a reas consis t of: a Station Sergeant and 9 police a t Betio; the Inspector, a Sergeant, and 15 police at Bairiki; and 1 policeman a t Bikenibeu. A part-time local village policeman i s stationed in each of the other vil lages on the atoll. T h e principal jail for Tarawa, located a t Bairiki, h a s a capacity of 21 male and 7 female prisoners a t any one time. Housekeeping Facil i t ies and Personal Services Quarters and Food Supply Although the British have completed an appreciable program of construction of permanent housing on Tarawa, all housing i s occupied and no facility i s immediately available for even a small visiting party (figure 34). Some hundreds of houses have been built, hut only 34 meet standards for occupancy by Caucasians. There i s no hotel nor guest house of any description. Billeting of a visiting group would be difficult. Two qualifications to the above statements may be pointed out: 1. The buildings a t Betio formerly occupied by the U. S. Meteorological Station are vacant at present and could provide shelter for an official party (figure 30). However, a l l equipment, bedding, messing, food, and the l ike would have to be brought in by the visiting group. 2. An official visiting party might be provided quarters, if plans were properly coordinated, a t the Royal New Zealand Air Force facility a t Bairiki (figure 35). These quarters were established for use by the crews of RNZAF aircraft which visit Tarawa approximately every two months on training flights. The facility, which has room for 6 officers and 1 5 enlisted men in two buildings, includes a separate cook and wash house (figure 36). Bedding and utensils are left in the buildings. All that i s required of a visiting party i s to supply i t s own food and to hire local labor a s cooks and orderlies. If formal arrangements were made with the RNZAF a t Lauthala Bay (near Suva), F i j i , i t might be possible for a group to occupy these quarters between the periodic v is i t s by the RNZAF. Any visiting party of more than two persons would, a t the least , have to supply i t s own food, and very probably would have to supply i t s entire bedding and messing needs. Medical and Dental Care The principal hospital for the Gilbert and El l ice Islands Colony i s located a t Bikenibeu, near the southeast corner ofTarawa Atoll. The staff is comprised of 5 Caucasians (2 doctors, 2 nurses, 1 pharmacist), 3 ass is tant medical officers (natives trained a t the medical school at Suva, Fiji), 1 5 native nurses, 1 5 dressers (about the same a s first aid men), and a h u t 20 cooks, janitors, and other workers. The hospital has beds for 6 Caucasian patients, 83 native patients, 15 mental patients, and, in an adjoining area, facilities for handling 70 leprosy cases . A fully equipped operating theater, X-ray machine, and facilities for simple laboratory t e s t s comprise the major equipment a t thc hospital. Operations such a s appendectomies and hernias and maternity c a s e s are routine for both Caucasians and natives, but more involved medical problems, s o far a s Caucasians are concerned, are handled by specia l i s ts in Australia or Fiji. An assistant medical officer, specialized in dentistry, does oral surgery and makes dental plates. Laundry and Cleaning Services No conmercial drycleaning or laundry facil i t ies exist on Tarawa. Local laundresses do a l l washing, houseboys do minor cleaning, and fancy cleaning i s mailed to Australia or Suva for processing. Figure 34. Grade D Government Housing Occupied by Gilbertese Couple in Foreground. Figure 35. Royal New Zealond Air Force Quarters a t Boiriki (Quarters for Enlisted Men in Center, Wish Officers' Quarters ot Extreme Right ond Cook Hovse at Extreme Left). 1 ROAD I FENCE . . .- .- . - Figure 36. Mop of Royal New Zealand Air Force Focil i ty a t Boiriki. Religion Although there a r e small congregations of perople who profess the Bahai , Church of God, and Seventh Day Adventist fai ths, most of the population of Tarawa is divided approximately half and half between Roman Cathol ics and members of the London Missionary Society (closely related to Methodism). A Catholic church is loca ted in every village, and a small LMS church i s located on every i s l e t of the atoll. On Tarawa are a Catholic bishop, two priests , and about four nuns who are ex- patr iates , and a lso Caucas ian pas tors of the Bahai and Church of God faiths. Native pas tors represent the other religions. Education In Tarawa, no school is available which maintains European standards of education. Caucasian children, a t about age 9, are s en t off to boarding schools in Australia, New Zealand, or England. T h e King George V School (figure 37) at Bikenibeu is t h e principal school for the colony. It provides secondary education t o nat ive boys from all over the colony. T h e Education Officer and Headmaster of the school a re expatriates. Figure 37. King George V School ot Bikenibeu (Assembly Hal l ot Right and Adminisfrotian Building at Left). 52 Recrention Commercial recreation facilities are absent from Tarawa, wi th theexcept ion of two open-air movie theaters a t Betio and o n e a t Bairiki. T h e s e theaters chsrge 12 cents admission andpresent programs dominated by old cowboy movies and adventure films. Caucasians have organized c lubs a t Betio and Rairiki whichserve a s focal points fo r soc ia l activities; each h a s a bar, billiards, darts, and other typical club facilities. Tennis courts are available a t Betio and Bairiki, and sports grounds for cricket and rugby are located a t these villages and a t Bikenibeu. Fishing, .sail- ing, and skin diving provide other recreational outlets. Except for reef detritus used a s aggregate for concrete, no construction material whatsoever i s available a t Tarawa. All cement, steel , and lumber are imported for specific jobs, and there i s never any e x c e s s for casual purchase or use. Coral debris from the reefs i s used to good advantage in concrete after i t i s washed and screened. Small (3/16-to-3/4-inch) and large (3/4-to- 2-inch) s i z e s are used; fine particles and the few part icles over 2 inches are discarded. Well water, fresh to brackish, i s used in making concrete, hut seawater can be used if necessary; in the latter case , the curing period i s longer and the early strength of the concrete i s lower. All construction equipment h a s been imported for special purposes, principally for the harbor construction project. The equipment l i s t comprises a 5/8-yard dragline, a 50-horsepower bulldozer with winch, 2 Morris %ton tippers, 4 concrete mixers 110-cubic-foot), a trailor-mounted compressor, and a diesel piling hammer. The piling hammer, a Delmay model D5, i s used for driving the steel sheet piling for t h e Betio wharf. Local construction cos t s can be roughly approximated from the cost of the Bairiki Secretariat (figure 8) which amounted to $37,000. T h e cos t factor probably i s 2.5 to 3 0 times that of Wash- ington, D. C. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Banner, A. H . , and J. E. Randall, "Preliminary Report on Marine Biology Study of Onotoa Atoll, Gilbert Islands." Atoll Research Bulletin No. 13, Washington, D. C., Pacific Science Board, December 1952, 62 pp. Cotale, R. L. A., "Report on the Gilbert Islands: Some Aspects of Human Ecology.'' Atoll Re- search Bulletin No. 59, Washington, I). C., Pac i f i c Science Board, October 1957, 187 pp plus 1 7 plates. Child, P., Birds of the Gilbertand Ell ice Islands Colony. Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Education Department, 1956, 36 pp (mimeographed). Cloud, P. E., Jr., "Preliminary Report on Geology and Marine Environments of Onotoa Atoll, Gilbert Islands." Atoll Research Bulletin No. 12, Washington, D. C., Paci f ic Science Board, December 1952, 73 pp. Great Britain, Colonial Office, Colonial Report, Gilbert and El l ice Islands Colony and the Central and Southern L ine Islands, Report for the Years 1954 and 1955, London, 1957, 96 pp plus 1 map. Great Britain, Naval Irctclligcnce Division, Paci f ic 1.sland.s. Vol. 111 (Geographical Handbook Series), 1944, pp 302.86. Heycn, G. H., Sniling Directions on Navigation Between the fs lands and Atolks of the Gilbert Group. Government Printer, Suva, Fi j i , 1937, 18 pp. Moul, C. T,, "Preliminary Report on Land Animals at Onotoa Atoll, Gilbert Islands." Atoll Research Bulletin No. 28, Washington, D. C., Paci f ic Science Board, May 1954, 28 pp. Moul, E. T., "Preliminary-Report on the.Flora of Onotoa ~toll,:Gilbert~lslends.'' Atoll R e s e s c h Bulletin No. 57, Washington,:D. C., Pacific Science Board, September 1957,;48 pp. Pusinell i , F. N. M., A Report on the Resul ts of the Census of the Population, 1917 (Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony). Government P ress , Suva, Fij i , 1947, 103 pp. Randall, J. E., "Fishes of the Gilbertlslands." Atoll Research BulletinNo. 47, Washington, D. C., Paci f icScience Bonrd, August 1955,243 pp. Robson, R. W., editor, Pacific.I.slands Year Book. 8th Ed. Sydney, Australia, Publications Printery, Ltd., 1959, pp 208-9, 219-21. Sachet , M. H., "Climate. and Meteorology of the Gilbertlslands." Atoll Research Bulletin NO. 60, Washington,,D. C., Pacific ScienceBoard, October 1957,4 pp plus 5 tables. Tracey, J. I., Jr., P. E. Cloud, Jr., and K. 0. Emery, "Conspicuous Features of Organic Reefs." Atoll Research Bulletin No. 46, Washington,.D. C., Paci f ic Science Board, 1955. U. S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Intelligence Division. Military Geography of the Northern Marshalks. Washington,.D.,,C., Government Printing Office, 1956. APPENDIX A VEGETATION OF GILBERT ISLANDS (Source: Atol l Research Bulletin No. 59, pages 79, 80.) With the exception of Pemphis s tands and, of course, of the mangrove proper, no primitive vegetation types can b e recognized today. T h e original formations have been s o thoroughly modified by man that there i s no t race left of them, especial ly a s a l l t he se i s lands a r e rather densely populated. Bes ides the coconut palm, which covers the largest area, some spec i e s may st111 have a certain densi ty and show marked for some habitats , but they form a secondary veee- tation rather than ruins of former original types. In many c a s e s the primary components a r e now represented only by isolated specimens, which tend to disappear not only because of the growing prevalence of t h e coconut palm but a l so because the na t ives do not care t o preserve or propagate them. T h i s is the c a s e for t rees such a s P isonia , Cordia, etc. In some is lands even valuable t r ee s such a s pandanus may b e disappearing, a s they a r e considered of minor importance in comparison with the commercial value of copra. T h e Gilbert I s lands offer today the following vegetation types: I. Vegetation of the seaward s ide Scaevola, more or l e s s dense,forms an almbst unbroken belt;. Their density is a lways greater than that of other neighbouriny: plants. T h i s spec i e s crows nearest t o the shore. Messetscbniidia in isolated specimens or small groups a r e found, most of them with twisted trunks. Thei r height does not exceed 3 nl. Pandanus, are more or l e s s numerous, hut always a s isolated individuals. T h e prevailing low plants are: Lepturus, which is very seldom found in the shaded central zone, and Fimbristylis. A few Triumfetta and Cyperus sometimes grow among then). T h e coconut palm begins in th is zone, the first rows growing a l i t t l e above high-water mark. 11. Vegetation of the interior T h e area occupied by other spec ies is usually conditioned by the density of the coconut palms. If t he se are very c lose together, we find only t he following low plants: Thuarea, I'irnhristylis, linphorbia and gramineae of the generaStenotaphrurn and Cenchn~s , with a few small Scaevola here and there, If the coconuts a r e l e s s dense, there will be some tree spec i e s such as: Pandaws , Guettarda and Morinda; and in addition to t he low plants already mentioned, Doerhavia, Triumfetta. Fleurya, Sida, Dodonnea and Cassytha. T h e g ra s se s a r e almost al l present and Psiloturn and Polypodium occur here and there a t t he foot of t he coconut trees. Of course t he number of t he se p lants and the area they cover vary with t he degree t o which the ground i s tended. if t h e coconut palms a re very sparsely planted, some t rees such a s Cordia and Pisonia may occur, 'though rarely nowadays. Many low p l an t s su rv ive with difficulty in open a reas while s p e c i e s s u c h a s Sida fallax, which seem to prefer strong sunlight, can achieve great extension there. 111. Vegetation of the lagoon s i d e (area of roads and villages) T h e roadsides being generally cleared to a certain width, few plants are to b e found there except common grasses. On the other hand, the shrubs and trees of the interior may b e found again between the cleared road zone and t h e edge of the lagoon, with the addition of small groups of Messerschmidia forming a narrow strip slightly in front of the coconut palms. One plant will be found growing densely on sandy areas that are always damp below the surface through tidal seepage; this i s Fimbristyli.s, which tolerates high salinity. On the contrary, Scaevola, Guettarda and Leptrrr~is always grow above the level of the highest tides. Village areas o f f e r a very different aspect, due to the number of plants cultivated in their immediate vicinity and around the houses. Among food trees, in addition to coconut palms which are widely spaced, breadfruit t rees predominate, and-sometimes reach a larges ize . Pandanus t r ees are found in varying numbers, mostly around the village periphery, except in the.southern islands where they are given the-same choice locations asArtocarpus. Papaya t rees are found in every vil lageand are often very tall. Banana plants are-sometimes a component of this vegetation, but are grown only in pits. Small pumpkin patches a r e s e e n around the houses in-southern islands, generally s ide by s ide with numerous tobacco plants, while F icus tinctoria i s usually found a l i t t le behind the l a s t houses. Tomatoes and.sweet potatoes are ve rysca rce and we saw them only on a few islands in the centre and north of the Gilbert Group. One of the characteristics of the Gilbertese village i s the great variety of ornamental plants. T h e most commonly found are Crinum, Russelia, Mirabilis, Catharanthus and Pseuderanthcmum. T h e low plants considered a s weeds vary in abundance, of course, according to the cleanliness of the village and are, in fact, ratherscarce. Euphorbia prostrata, .Fimbristylis, Phyllanthus, Eragrostis and Digitaria are most often.seen. In addition to v i l l ageand roadside vegetation, the Pemphis type should be given special mention. This shrubby plant (Pemphis acidula Forst) forms thick stands, often spreading over large areas, just at the limit of the highest t ides o f t h e lagoon, and above the first depressions filled by high t ides and occupied by Itbizophora. The latter may often cover large areas which a re submerged at high tide. APPE NDlX B KEY PERSONNEL OF GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS GOVERNMENT Bernacchi, M. L. On leave I I - I Commissioner I I Bairikl Resident I I I I I Davies. R. Acting Resident 1 Secretary to 2 Bairikl Commissioner Government Turpln, R. I Acting Secretary 1 2 1 Administrative t o Government Officer. Class B I - I Bairiki Roberta, R. G. Diatrlct Commis- I District Commia- aioner, Gilbert sioner, Gilbert and Ellice Islands and Ellice Islands / / Rees,. W.. H. Acting Chief 4 Medical Officer - Bikenibeu Medical Officer Shaw, J. A. Act1n.g. Accountant 5 Accountant - Bairiki General APPENDIX C POPULATION OF GILBERT AND ELLlCE ISLANDS COLONY Table C-1. Breakdown of Population in Gilbert 9 d Ellice IslandsColony, Table C-2. Population Trends in Gilbert and Ellice 1slands:Colony. T a b l e C -1 . Breakdown of Popu la t ion in G i lbe r t and E l l i c e I s l ands Co lony . ( E s t i m a t e s a s of 31 December 1958) GlLBERT AND ELLICF. ISLANDS DISTRICT, Makin 1,130 Butarltari 2,118 Matekei 1,790 Abaieng 3,234 Te-swa 7.125 Maisne 1,359 Abemame 1,341 Aranuka Nonouti Tabiteuea Beru Onotoa Nikunau Tsmana Arorae Subtotal for Gilbert Islands Nanumea Nsnumanga Niutao Nui Vaitupu N&ufetau Funafuti Nukulaelae Niulakita Mongolian t- I Subtotal /or El l ice Island: Tota l /or dwtnc t 37,770 137 .585 -- - - - - .- -- OCEAN ISLAND DISTRICT: Tota l for dtsmcr ~~~1~ 2,135 PHOENIX ISLANDS DlSTRICTi Cantons 368 179 Hull 729 729 Gardner 183 183 Tota l /or district 1,280 1,091 :LINE ISLANDS DISTRlCTt Washington 3 0 5 3Wc Fanning 436 401' Christmasd 3 7 4 3 7 3 Tota l for district 1,115 1.078 GRAND TOTAL FOR COLONY 42,546 41,889 a - Condominium of United Sta tes end United Kin~dom. b - Caucaaisn population in June 1956. c - Including e few "mixed race". d - Excluding military forces. C-2 Table C-2. Population Trends in Gilbest and Eiliee lslaada @o!ony. I Polynesians 1 3,668 1 11 1 5,006 1 Per Cent Number * 1 1858' Raclol Segment Micronesians 29,923 Mongolians 728 2 142 Caucasians Mixed 231 1 565 Total 33,822 100 35,940 a - Estimated by Government officials. b - Total of El l ice Islands population, excluding 5 Caucasians. -- Per Cent -- e7 12 1 100 APPENDIX D SOME AVOIDANCES TO BE OBSERVED IN RELATIONS WITH NATIVES (Source Grimble, A. R. Instructions and Hints to District Officers. Suva: 1. J. McHugh 1929.) 1. Don't expect t o know the native until you have learned h i s home life. Don't expect to learn h i s home l i fe except by constant hut-to-hut visitation. Don't expect t o have any influence with the native until h e knows that you know him. 2, Don't attempt t o drive a native: lead him. Don't attempt to frighten him: h e cannot be frightened physically. 3. Don't s ay anything that . soundsl ike boasting or self-aggrandisement. There i s a native proverb: "He owns no land, s o h i s words a r e big." 4. Don't speak loud. There i s another Gilbertese proverb: "A chief whispered: I swooned. AQlave shouted: I awoke to laugh." 5. DO& reproach a native for bad manners until you are sure that you yourself a re good- mannered according t o h i s code. 6. Don't threaten or even speak of a native's head: it i s sacred. 7. Don't point with extended finger: bend the finger and point with the knuckle. 8. Don't walk upright between two natives engaged i n conversation. Bow the head, s o a s to clear their l ine of vision. 9. Don't forget t o answer: "Te raoi" (peace!) if a native s a y s "KO raba" (thank you!). 10. Don't walk through a seated crowd without t h e preliminary courtesy: "E matauninga te aba?" (Are the people offended?). Say th i s and awalt t h e answec "E aki matauninga, na rikai" (They are not offended, pass th i s way). Then proceed. APPENDIX E COMMUNICATIONS IN GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS COLONY T h e communications network in the Gilbert and El l ice Islands Colony consis ts of 34 stations, l is ted in table E 1. Regular contacts a lso are maintained with.several other communications points outside t h e colony. Communications equipment a t Tarawa, which i s the Government center of the colony, includes the transmitters detailed in table E-2, the receivers detailed in table E:3, and the VHF transmitter- receiver.system described.in table E-4. The t e s t equipment a t Tarawa, used to keep the communi- ca t ions equipment in good operating condition, i s l is ted in table E-5. T h e communications operations at Tarawa can b e c lass i f ied a s point-to-point communications, shore/ship communications, ground/air communications, aircraft navigational aid, and local broad- cas t ingservice . The usage of equipment a t Tarawa in these operations i s described in tables E.6, E-7, and E-8. T h e layout of receiving/operating positions, t h e s t a f f i n g of receiving and transmitt ingstations, the stocking of:spare units, and the maintenance of equipment at Tarawa are all simplified by an arrangement in which certain individual equipments are used a t different times for different circuits, usually but not necessari ly on t h e s a m e frequencies. T h i s arrangement i s shown by the Tarawa radioschedules for 1 September 1959 detailed in table E-9. Although some circuits appear to be inadequately provided with night orsecondary frequencies, local o f f i c i a i s say that doubtless alloca- t ions would be available if the necessity arose or i f the period o f se rv ice were extended from the present 18 hours per day to 24 hours per day. T h e normal working frequency for shore/ship communications i s 4108.4 kilocycles, and the alternate frequency i s 6282 kilocycles(whichis limited to CW). The Pac i f i c area small.ships d is t ress frequency is 2182 kilocycles. I t should be noted that the Colony .ships are not equipped to u s e the international d is t ress frequency of 500 kilocycles. Broadcasting in vernacular i s limited a t present to 1 hour per week on the frequency of 6050 kilocycles. One of the communications transmitters (radiating 200 watts) is borrowed for these broadcasts. T h e programs are tape recorded b y t h e Information Office personnel a t Bairiki, who have audio fac i l i t ies and a Ferrograph (English) tape recorder. T h e taped programs are fed into the transmitter on Sundays from 1640M to 1715M (local time). The programs, which are half Gilbertese and half Ellice, include reports of colony news and local music. Although the teceptian is limited to the Gilbert and Ell ice groups, reports are usually favorable. There are not very many private radio receivers outside Tarawa, but comn~unity listening is wpular . Broadcasting in English is scheduled for 2 hours per week on the frequency of 814 kilocycles. T h e program i s broadcast by use of locally constructed studio equipment and a'.locally constructed low .power transmitter. T h e programs, which consis t of local news reports, music, and British Broadcasting Corporation feature transcriptions, a re presented on Fr idays from 1930M to 2130M (local time). T h i s low-power broadcasting stat ion i s located near the transmitting station for colony communications. At.the end of 1959, a new 2.5-kilowatt t ransmit ter is being installed in the transmittingstation, a remote-studio is being installed on Betio, and anotherstudio i s being installed in the Information Off ice a t Bairiki. This transmitter equipment, which i s manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables, Ltd. (Australian), will require,a.3-phase AC power input, T h e associated audio equipment t o b e used in the remote.studios i s mostlymanufactured by Amalgamated Wireless Austrasia, Ltd, (Australian) and PYE (English). A,special high-angle radiation antenna, termed a vertical inci- d e n c e array, will be used with thrs new transmitter. The radiation will b e limited to the Gilbert and Ell ice Islands, but a reliable.service area i s anticipated. When th is new broadcasting equipment is put into operation, the vernacular programs probably will continue to be recordedin most instances, but under better conditions. However, l ive programs from the new remote,studio on Betio wili be possible. Although the.studio equipment probably will be used to produce l ive programs for the E n g l s h broadcasts, i t i s not proposed at present to u s e the new transmitter for the English.service. Probably, the low.power transmitter will be moved to the transmitting.station and thesmal l build- ing which now houses the low-power transmitter will be demolished. Table.. E-1. 'Wireless Stations in Gilbert and Ell ice Islands Colony. (Total of 34 Stations in Colony) I Station ) Gilbert islands (19 Stations): Headquarters, Tarawa Baidki, Tarawa Bikenibeu, Tarawa Abaokoro, Tsrawa Makin Butaritari Marakei Abaiang Maiana Abemama Kuria Aranuka Nonouti Tabiteuea Beru Onotoa Tamana Arorae Ellice Islands (9 Stations): Nanumea Nanumanga Niutao N ui Funafuti Vaitupu Nnkufetau Nukulaelae 'Niulakita Phoenix Islands (3 Stations): Canton 1 Hull Gardner L i n e hdands (2Stations): I Fanning Chdstmas Call S ig VSZ VSZ 31 VSZ 4( VSZ 31 VSZ 3E VSZ 3: VSZ 3 4 VSZ 3: VSZ 3 i VSZ 3t VSZ 25 VSZ 2t VSZ 24 VSZ 22 VSZ 25 VSZ 29 VSZ 30 VSZ 31 VSZ 28 ZJU 22 ZJW 27 ZJU 24 ZJU 23 ZJU ZJU 25 ZJU 28 ZJU 29 ZJU 26 VQK ZIT ZIT 23 ZIT 25 VQN 22 VQN 23 Table E-2. Summary of Available Information on Transmitters a t Torawa. Mmufacturcr Source Input Powor Required AT14 T and S (Australian) Purchased aftex Woiid 240 volts War 11 from ~ u s t r a l i a n AC I-phase Air Force (wartime mains-operated model) AT13 AWA (Australian) Purchased in 1946 from Australian Air Force (wartime model) AWA (Australian) Pvrchased in 1947 (postwar model) I AWA (Australian) Purchased in 1947 (postwar modei) I Local engineers ' constructed at Tarawa i n 1950 - Being instai ied a t end of 1959 240 volts AC I-phase mains-opeiated . . rieriYenEY "red. "Fitted W i t h regsrate ."tomatis key%% unit, constructed at T ,a, to transmit long dash*. interiperaed with identificntion "TW" a5 "ayi. gationni aid to aircraft in the Taiawa regioe Hertz* Terminated "V", directed a t Fij i ; 600-ohm twin feedei -- Long wire, horizontal Top-ioaded long wire, horizontai Vertical incidence a m y (special high- angle radiation) Range "*"red ~ l t h ,as.,,y constructed studio eqnipment. U m g e - CW, MCW, voice MCW I CW, MCW, voice CW, MCW, voice navigationai aid** ! I T a b l e E.3. Summary of Avai lable lnformation on Rece ivers a t Parawa Number Typa or Manufacturer A M type Eddyatone (Englleh) 1 1 680X 1 AMR type AWA 13 tubes, Hertz - " a rectifier, 240 volts AC doublet. MCWl and voltage malns-operated shlalded a t a b l l k s ~ feed Hertz 'Purchaasd 9 tubes m d 240 volts AC doublet, from kectifler malls.op*ated ' ihleldad CW dlapoasls iesd 1 AWA = Amalgamated Wireless Auetrnaia, Ltd. 8 tubes and 240 volte AC Long wlra. CV', from rectifier maina-operated horizontal MCW disposals T o b l e E-4. Summary of Avai lable Information on Transmit ter-Receiver a t Tarawa Standard FM type Telephones 1 30 SU -8C and Cables, .Ltd. (Kue tral'kn) Input Power Required 240 volts AC mains-operated Unrnodulated h t p u t Power to Antenna (Wows) ,. wound plane mounted on mast 80 feet above surface ground Frequency Uroga (Megacycles) voice*" * Same frequency used f o r b o t h t r n n s m l t t l n g and r e e e i r l n p , *' F l t t c d w i t h o p c r a t o r ' a c o n t r o l u n l t f o r t a d e . tcnaIona n t B e t l o , one to the p u b l i c Iclrphone b o o t h a t t h e Roce3sar Station end the anher one t o t h e D i s t r l s t O f f l e e . Table E-5. Test Equipment Usedin Radio Workshop at Tarawa Quantity I Equipment I I 1 Multimeter / University.tv~e M v A / ~ ' / - - (Australian) I - - I I Type or Model Manufacturer I Testing Range 2 I. I l l Audio oscillator I R c generator BP 2319'02 1 Philips (Dutch) 1 c y ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ E d Multimeter Model 8 Universal I Avo (English) 1 I - - Insulation tester I 1 1 Valve voltmeter I Electronic testmeter Mk 4 / Avo (English) 1 - - Signal'generator Signal generator I 1 I Valve tester I Type 160 I Avo (English) I - - Series 3 I I 1 I Testmeter / - - I STC** (Australian) I VHF Type E2 Type A51948 GM 5655/02 Philoscop 11 type GM 4144/01 1 hlegger (English) Oscilloscope I I I I I * Amalgamated Wireless Austrasia, Ltd. ** Standard Telephones and Cables, Ltd. - - Advance (English) AWA* (Australian) Philips (Dutch) Philips (Dutch) 1 I Measuring bridge 1 1 100 - 100,000 kilocydes VHF (fixed - - - - - Neutralizing meter Frequency meter I I - - 125 - 20.000 kilocycles (for AWA transmitters) Model BC221-M AWA* (Australian) Bendix (American) Toble E-6: Equipment Usage a t Tamwa in Point-to-Point Communications. Table E-7. Equipment Usage st Tarewa in Shoae/Ship Commun3s~ilons -- ___7___ Tr.n.ml..lon Reception 'hype Station of 'hype Of F W ~ U B ~ C ~ ( K I I o c y ~ l e s ) Slonal Tronsmlttsr Doy 1 Table E-8. Equipment Usage at Tarawa in Ground/Alr Communications, Aircraft Navlgational Aid, and Local Broadcasting Service I Overseas ships (international dis t ress frequencies) Nlght CW, MC W ** Vernoeular programsr *** English- lnnguale programs* I*** Constructed b y l o e s l engineers f o r lou.porsr ( 5 0 watt.) opere t ion . Stotion Ground/air: All aircraft in area Navigational Aid: Al l -a i rcraf t i n area as required Local Broadcasthe Gilbert and Ellice Islands Tarawa 1J51020 * Avtomatlcal ly keyed t o .end long dsehen in te roperscd with I d e n t i f l c s t l o n "TN." TYPO of %rial MCW, voice CW, Voice*" Voice*** 500 422 410 500 '422 410 Tronam~srlon Racsptlon T~~~ of Tvmsmittsr AT14 or 1JSl020 1551020 AT14 Local**** RA-IB lype Receiver 680X Frequency (Kilocycles) 500 422 410 Frequency (Ki Day 13344.5 8845.5 375 6050 844 5 00 422 410 Day 13344.5 8845.5 Night 5641.5 2945 375 6050 844 ! - - Toble E.9. Torowo Rodio Schedules as of 1 September 1959 0600 0600 0615 Station - Open VHF, local, and overseas shipping watches ZJU 22, 23, and 26, VSZ 27. 31. and 32 Frequency Used by Torawo (Kilocycles) 0620 0700 0705 Type of schedule * C WX r Time Transmission 74000 4113 500 6987.5 0730 0800 0800 0800 I I only Loco1 (hi Zone) 0600 0600 Re~ept ion 74000 4108 500 7460 3730 I 1820 1900 1905 0830 * C Commercial communication.3 WX Weather information Greenwich Meon 1800 1800 . . VQK Ocean Island Special -schedule for Bairiki, Bikenibeu (priority only) VHF ZJU El l ice subs 1800 1800 1815 1930 2000 WX C C WX C W X 2030 11000 74000 6987.5 C C 7490 3745 74000 7460 3730 ZQD Nadi - VSZ send traffic l i s t and traffic to Elli'ce subs ZQD Nadi if no contact at 0620M 2000 Colony shipping 2000 C Bairiki and Bilieniheu worked on 6987.5 kilo C ZPD Suva Watch-keeping th i s area until l O O O M 11000 16077.5 6987.5 11000 4413.8 6987.5 4413.8 cycles when ZJU Ellice clear (until 084SM), then VSZ changes to 4413,,8 kilocycles. Bairiki and Bikenibeu keep continu o u s watch on VIW during office hours. : Bairiki, Bikeniheu Sundays and holidays 9400 11450 74 60 3730 15600 4108.4 - 3502.5 74000 11000 4413.8 13395 500 Table E.9. Tarawo Radio Schedules (Cont7d) - Frequency Used by Tarawa (Kilocycles) Ti1 Local tA Zone) Type of Sialion - VQK Ocean Island, ZJU Funafuti , VSZ 31 Arorae Reception 7460 Transmission -- 6987.5 VQK Ocean Island VQK Ocean l s l snd l i s t e n s on 11000 k i l o c y c l e s until lOOORl ZOD Nadi VSZ s e n d s shipping n o t e s and traffic l i s t to Northern Eilherts , s e n d s and rece ives traffic until 1015M ZIT Canton l i s t ens for VSZ on 11000 ki locycles until IOOOM ( P a s s pri- ority Government and a l l private traffic for Christmas) VPD Suva VQJ Honiara (Sundays, ho l idays only priority traffic) VSZ s e n d s sh ipping no t e s and traffic l i s t to Southern Gilberts, handles traffic until 1130M ZQD Nadi administra. tion VKT Nauru VQJ Honiara (except Sundays and holidays) * C Commercial communications WX Weather information Table E-9. Tarawa.Radio Schedules (Con+'A) I I Tarawa 1155 2355 WX VSZ 32 Butaritari 6987.5 7460 1200 1 2400 C Bairiki, Bilienibeu 4413.8 3502.5 I I I Sundays and holidays I VQK Ocean Island l i s t and exchanges traffic with Northem Gilberts until 1445M schedule Colony ships (urgent traffic only) VKT Nauru (except watch on Tarawa for I traffic until 1545M * C Commercial communications WX Weather information Table E.9. Yarawo Radio~SaRedwles (Contld) Time I O r 5 I I ~ a r a w a works.VQK on 6987.5 kilocycles until weather is collected at 1 6987s / 7490 I Frequency Used by Tarawa Local (M Zone) Type of schedule* Greenwiah Mean 1445111 (except Sundays) 1455 " 1500 1500 Station ( ~ i l o c ~ c ~ e ; ) l5tO 1530 1600 1600 1600 1630 1645 1700 1730 * Tranamisaion 0255 1 WX / Tarawa collects weather I 6987.5 0300 0300 .Reception 7460 C Commercial communications WX Weather information 0315 0330 0400 0400 0400 0430 0445 0500 0530 - C C WX C C C C C WX C 0 from Ocean, Funafuti, and Arorae VQK Ocean Island - Tarawa.sends traffic l i s t and,subs, receives traffic from Southern Qilberts until 1730M VQK Ocean Island keeps listening watch on Tarawa for traffic until 1600M (except Sundays) ZQD Nadi VPD Suva Tarawa works Coloqy shipping Watch,keeping this area until 1800M VQJ Honiara (except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) Bairiki, Bikenibeu VQD Nadi adminlstra- tson (except Sundays) VQK Ocean Island keeps watch on Tarawa until 1800M V P p Suva 6987.5 11000 7490 - 7460 7490 16077 11000 4413.8 11000 4413.8 11000 11000 11000 15600 13395 4108.4 500 11568 3502.5 15600 7490 13395 Tuble E-9. Torowa Radio Schedules (Cont'd) Ti eocal (M Zone) 1800 e I I 1 Frequency Used by Torawo Station (Kl~ocycle;) Transmission I Reception 0600 WX Collection of .subs 6987.5 weather until 1800M 0600 C Special VHF schedule 74000 with Bairiki and Bikeni- beu (urgent or priority traffic only) 0620 W X ZOD Nadi 11000 VQN 23 Christmas I 6987.5 74 60 lsland 3730 ZIT Canton Island keeps 11000 9825 listening watch for 7460 traffic until 1930M VPD Suva 11000 13395 ZJU Funafuti 6987.5 7460 3730 VKT Nauru (except Special VHF schedule with Bairiki and Bikeni- beu (urgent or priority 01< Ocean Island keeps listening watch 3745 1000 C Special VHF schedule 74000 with Bairiki and Bikeni- beu (urgent or priotity traffic onlv) 1140 I WX I ZJU 26 Niulakita I P87.5 * C Commercial communications WX Weather information Table E-9. Tarawa Radio Schedules (Cont'd) I Time I 1 Frequcncy:Uwd,by ~ a r a w y j I Local (M Zoce) 1 2345 1 IYS -- 1 %:/j i 1145 i I h C C~mrnerc!~al commr!nications !'I]: !>!cather information Type of schedule* Greenwich M-c,n , 29 1 112~0 'WX W X Station i Collection of weather fromwbs, including ZIT 25Gardner Island Collection of weather from VOK Ocean Eslnnd 9400 1 ZQD Nedi (Kilocycles) 4413.8 Transmission 6987.5 6987.5 Reception 7460 1 3730 7490 , 3745