* * * * * Battle Flag of the Imperial Japanese Navy. As we passed Kauai – glancing out my right side window – I discovered another, slender-shaped island. Afterward, when I explored French Frigate Shoals’ history, I would learn the following concerning this island: It lay 17.5 miles southwest of Kauai, was 18.6 miles in length and 6.2 miles in width. It was also known as “The Forbidden Isle.” This was because Elizabeth Sinclair purchased the island from the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1864; passing private ownership on to her descendants the Robinson family. The island is generally off-limits to all, apart from relatives of the owners. This is the Island of Niihau. So what’s the big deal about Niihau, no doubt you’re askin...