came out with a bunch of mail for us. So everything regained its usual rosy color. Business in collecting continues good, with Niko bringing in two big tree ogannas which I, I am afraid, I must skin tomorrow; they are too big for pickling. By the light of day the brown snake that came in last night looks even more like the Austra- lian Coastal and maybe I shall become famous after all. With the mail in, we had of course to give the boys the afternoon off while we attended to it. Is is Sunday and there is no harm done as far as that goes, though they will get overtime for the morning's work they all put in. The weather seems to be becoming a bit more bearable now; the strong southeast trades are blowing more or less constantly and there is little rain during the days or nights. I hope it will hold and of course we are all anxious to hear what Ken Wynn has to say on his return from Maneau. Len and Van with their six boys leave day after tomorrow and Niko, Keem, Bili and I shall have to hold the fort here alone. It will be a bit lonely during the nights I expect, as the boys do not sleep in the same quarters as we, but I have been doing some sound sleeping myself and doubt if I shall remain awake long enough to think much of that. Some of the local young women came over this morning, dressed in their best brilliantly dyed grass skirts; we got some pictures and I hopw mine come out, but I am afraid of the camera. I lose a lot of every film I put into it, and am afraid it will give up the ghost en- tirely before long. Now that I have got picture-taking into my blood, that would annoy me very much, and Miriam would not be able to keep up with our doings.