Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1912-08-10
CIzlZPFEIN1G ~ Zoo

Hsh and bird life The sea bird population alone
probably cannot be equaled in any other part or
che world Tens OF millions Of feathered fowl
make their home these lonely specks OF land,
repairing thther each year in countless focks
60 establish rookcres and to rear their young.
The reefs and waters about the islands fairly
ewarm with fish and other forms of life, so that
they really form a densey populated natural ZOO
logical garden.
To the naturalist the out-of-door enthusiast, the
eaatuYe study photographer the man who sim
ply loves outof-the-way places and the unusual
and novel these islands leave little TO be desired.
A chance to down along this chain is the
opportunity of lifetime and bound to result In
a really worth while experience-one that will
hive fresh in the memory long after the details
of other trips and experiences have been mingled
with the commonplace OF life.
Unfortunately, at present visiting the Islands
I'm the reservation is not the simple matter that
1t should be, that it is hoped 1t may be made
sn time In former years the operations Of
4yuano company, then engaged In exploiting the
Euano bird lime deposits on the islands made
Ct POSSIBLE by invitation, to make the journey tn
faysan Island from Honolulu during the summer
months in one OF the company's sailing vessels.
While the islands Of the chain all different
from each other and all intensely interesting,
y.ayson is in a certain sense typical of most OF
them. II is raised coral atoll approximately two
miles across that in general form has been
pared to a broad, shallow platter composed en-
tirely OF sand raised coral reef not more than
80 feet about the sea at the highest point on the
Band rim which completely surrounds the salt
water lagoon that occupies the central part OF the
island This lagoon is Of special interest since
Pts water contains more salt than does that Of the
open This interesting fact tells much Of the
geological history OF the island and points unms-
takably to the origin of the land II shows It to
be a circular coral atoll that at the time OF It's
elevation above the carried the water of the
lagoon up to its present level Since that time.
and Il must have been very long ago, the waters
have evaporated TO extent and left that
which remains more concentrated and salty than
II was when the island first made. About the
edge of the lagoon the DOGGY earth is covered with
crystals of salt mixed with chips of guano. This
-EheIike substance sparkes in the and sug
Eests band OF silver at the waters edge. About
this barren ring is narrow band covered with
low creeping vines. Back of this again is a growth
OF iuncas which Is backed up in turn by ring
OF how bushes. The prevailing plant of the island.
however is a kind OF bunch grass that
grows three or four feet high. More than score
NJ piants have found footing there during the
Tong period that has elapsed since the dry land
first rose that at the time of its discovery. and,
Indeed on the occasion OF my first visit. for
ssds1d island II we'll supplied with low
growth OF hardy vines, grass and shrubs Unfor-
ynuately the Introduction of rabbits the island
has marked q sad change since then