17 Up there Europens discard the coats which formality demands in sweltering Soera- baia and lounge about in shirt and shorts. Drovess of small ponies are available for hire and the sight of new-looking helmets and white legs, cameras and curio sellers, give it the air of the popular resort it is. April 7th. After a very busy 9 days in Soerabaia, left by the "Melchior Treub" at 5 PM for Makassar via Bali. Bought all building supplies needed to establish our base at Hollandia, food for 4 white men for two months and after a lot of trouble managed to get enough timber to deck the flying boat ramp. The most suitable timber I saw for this purpose was called ironwood, a heavy blackish hardwood, but it was in large squared logs which the Chinese proprietor of the timber yard wanted a month to cut into suitable sizes. Teak (Jateh), by far the commonest and best wood in use in Java, is too light and buoyant for our purpose. Had to be content with camphorwood, an inferior brittle timber sold at about half the price of teak. Was very well treated by members of Internationale staff with whom I came into contact. Agent--Ziiek: sub-agent--Olafsen: manager of import department--Velders: his first assistant Teerink (brother of Captain Teerink who is organizing the military party for our expedition): lumber man--Grutlemans: grocer--Van der Linden Kerkhoff, an ex-army commissary man, with twenty odd years experience in Java, whom Rand had engaged in Batavia as base storeman for Hollandia, thought better of his bargain and resigned on Saturday. Was able to replace him in Soerabaia with a german named R. H. Mielke (salary f350 per month and found), who has had some years of construction work, etc., in Java and Borneo. Also engaged in Soerabaia as first cook for base a Javanese ex-navy cook named Asit. Have instituted enquir- ies at Makassar for 2 cooks mates and 9 coolies for general duties at Hollandia. Richardson and Ramm, who joined the ship at Batavia, and Mielke and myself form the advance party to establish the base at Hollandia. We have about forty 1st class passengers on board, including a Hindoo and three of his women-folk in native dress, A Chinese doctor bound for China, a native official for Ambon and