Adak, one of the Aleutian Islands, is situated about two-thirds of the way westward along the chain which these islands form. It is roughly 30 miles long by 20 wide, but of an extremely irregular shape, with many fjords, bays and lagoons; the highest peak, Mount Moffett, is situated at the northern end of the island and is 3900 feet in elevation. The island seems wholly volcanic in origin, with bare rock on the higher ridges. The lower parts are rolling, with a low, dense tundra growth and many ponds. There are no trees and the tallest growth is the strand wheat along the shore, which forms dense mats when dead. The winter weather is not extremely cold, the temperature seldom falling below zero, but it is extremely changeable and the sudden wind, or williwaw, sometimes blows more than 80 miles an hour.