142 sunny grass crest near a village a ll.15. Here, after a cautious approach, both men and women gathered round us, squatting and standing in the grass while we ate. Continuing through picturesque park-like country, we passed during the afternoon two more isolated villages-communities of people who have abandoned the ridges and now cultivate the rich black loam of the flats. Though friendly enough, the people of the last community were obviously ex- cited by our appearance. They turned out fully armed with bows and arrows and long black spears, and we saw no women. For some distance they gathered on our flanks and ran up and down the line from front to rear, but we left them behind at a small creek which obviously formed their territorial boundary. The night camp, situated in the fringing Casuarinas of another small creek, in a country grown over with tall grass and brushy small trees, was reached at two o'clock. Mosquitoes were troublesome here, and for the first time in over four months we rigged our nets. Probably attracted by a shot fired by Rand, about twenty men and women came from beyond the creek to gaze upon us and offer odds and ends in trade. Some of them spears 12-14 feet long, and dangerous looking weapons. Wednesday, December 7, 1938. Got away to a good start at 6.20 and were soon in the fertile, heavily populated plains of the Wamena. Here the people were extremely friendly, and while some gathered to watch us pass, others continued digging in the deep black earth of the gardens. These are no fences here, the garden being surrounded by beautifully dug trenches which no doubt serve the double purpose of draining the land and keeping out pigs. The picturesque Wamena, a rapid stony stream of cold gray water with low grassy (alang) banks fringed with lines of Casuarina and gay with mauve orchids (Spithoglithi) was reached in about an hour, and another hour was spent in getting the party across. A