27 locality. Mountains rise directly behind the beach to an elevation of 2000 feet and behind these, separated by a deep valley, is another ridge rising to 6000 ft. The summit of the second range would probably be reached in 1 1/2 days from Wasior. The rain forests which cover the whole country have suffered little disturbance. Leaving Wasior we passed through [illegible] Numamuran Strait, leading into Geel-vink Bay between 12 and 1 o'clock. Noticed behind the beach in several places on the small islands of the strait very small patches of recently burnt forest. These patches only a few yards across. One of them was [illegible] ground elevated to 5 m. immediately behind a tree-grown (Hibiscus filiceous) cove and could have been caused by the burning of a pile of driftwood. Others, however, were further inland though always within 100 yards of the shore. The dry reddish-brown leaves of the scorched trees and undergrowth (trees scorched to tops 50 feet) made these patches very conspicuous. Anchored at Serui, on the south coast of Japan Island, at 11.30 PM: April 22nd. Meilke and self went ashore at daylight to inspect the aeroplane landing ramp of the N.N.G.P.M. So far as I am able to make out this is the aerial base of the company for the whole of West New Guinea. They have stationed here a 2-engined Sikorsky amphibian of rather ancient vintage with which aerial surveys and photography are carried out on the mainland. Their landing ramp, an expensive job of concrete, is rendered useless except at half-tide by a deep trough scoured out of the beach at its outer end. About 50 canoes came out to the ship last night and this morning we saw many more drawn up on the beach. The canoes are dugouts of the double outrigger type, with sometimes nicely carved or fretworked and grotesquely shaped high stem pieces, decorated with cassowary feathers, tassels of cut white cockatoo feathers and cowrie shells. Sometimes the bows are carved in relief: a common design being raised circular spots 2" in diameter on a ground of red ochre. The people