Photo courtesy J. Clauss . However, tropical downpours during the day make the heavy work of clearing the trail through the jungle a soggy endeavor. It is also discovered that the ship's water maker, which had been unusable during the voyage out due to the extreme rolling, is not working. Without the ability to make fresh water the expedition must depend entirely upon the tanks of water aboard the ship. This supply should be adequate if carefully conserved, but luxuries such as laundry are out of the question.
More heavy rain slows the work.
Nearby, the 1953 photo also shows a cruciform feature in the beachfront vegetation which looks alarmingly similar to an aircraft. A grave about four feet in length is found not far from the beachfront. Like the grave excavated on Aukeraime in 1991 and found to be that of an infant, this burial seems to be anomalous in the context of the island settlement and fits folklore about bones said to have been found and buried on Nutiran by the early settlers. L to R, Ron Rich, Veryl Fenlason, Van Hunn, Jerry Ann Jurenka, Ric Gillespie. Photo courtesy J. Clauss.