48 Tuesday, 15 April 1948. Our crates reached us at the B-P warehouse we are using about 9.30 this morning and from then until now, 10.15 P.M. things have been very busy. Much more repacking was done than I had expected and even now the job is far from finished though we should complete it tomorrow. After that all the stuff we have collected so far, which is stored in the Cairns Museum, also has to be packed and removed to the B-P warehouse. It seems likely that we shall use the Lochiel, an awful little tub about fifty feet long, to get us to Red Island, and there is some talk of George and Len flying up, which means of course that Van and I have not only the dirty part of the journey, but also the dirty job of finishing up the packing. It is not yet definite, though - nothing ever is definite in Australia, as far as I have seen up to now. The day has been hotter than the last few and working under a corrugated iron roof did not tend towards coolness anyway. However, the thing to do is get things ready and then wait again, perhaps not for long. Lochiel is not yet in Cairns but is said to be arriving tomorrow and leaving perhaps on Thursday night. Breakfast is early tomorrow so I shall close this up and write more at length when the job is done. As an afterthought, it is three years ago today that I left the Canadian Army and presumably ended my soldiering career. Wednesday, 14 April 1948. The big news of the day came through just before noon when our trans-shipment by the Lochiel was finally arranged for all hands and all baggage. We leave some time tomorrow evening and loading starts at 9 A.M. Lochiel herself rather beggars description; she is about forty or fifty feet long, carries a crew of one black man, two white men and the captain, Smith, whom I have not yet met. She is probably ten feet in beam and has an oil burning engine which she rarely uses, relying instead on her jib and a big mainsail. Just where we shall all sleep remains to be seen as there is practically no cabin space and hardly any room on deck to lay down cots. The masts are too far apart for George to hang his hammock and rather too short and stumpy for us to drape ourselves as bats do. I went down to see her this afternoon and learn that one of the crew is Canadian and the other from Seattle. Smith is Australian. They were loading tomatoes for the journey north but I did not see much else in the way of rations. Other news came from Thursday Island - The Protector of Islanders has engaged three natives for us who, subject to our approval, will make the whole trip with us. Jetty Joe will be waiting at Red Island and our first camp will be at Lockerbie Springs, not on any map but about eleven miles east of Red Island Point, which is known locally and ominously as R.I.P. The reason will be investigated and reported later. The repacking job has been hectic but has been completed, though no listing of the repacked boxes was kept. No doubt each man knows just what part of the operation he performed and each man's personal kit of course is his own responsibility. Tents and primary camp supplies are unmistakable and readily available. Our Thursday Island visit will have to be deferred until the return trip to Portland Roads as we shall save two days by going direct to Red Island. Also we shall omit Cooktown, calling only at Portland Roads on the northward trip. In general, we shall be able to pick up about five of our lost days.