76 Piunde-Aunde he examined them only casually, and left them there. I have already mentioned a sheaf brought down from a repository under Gilliard's Monolithic Rock by Van. This lot seems to represent records left by parties on their way up to the peaks, although one was an original record of the ascent of the (main?) peak by Dr. John Minerney and party on 23 September 1943, brought down to the Monolithic Rock by natives and given to the Raynor, Semple & Keogh party in 1953. Had a chance to do a little stocktaking. All the sickness, and loss of appetite, has left us in a good position for food supplies. But we are running low on silver. We were obliged to buy the great amount of garden foods which were carried up the mountain to us a few days after our arrival (at least a ton). But there was no need to buy it all with silver when we had plenty of salt and tobacco as trade. It was easier for John to dip into the cash bag, and that was what was done. Lately there has been wholesale buying of mammals, all for cash, which I did not realize until today, when, before the rain, 28 specimens were brought in by natives camped a thousand feet or so below us and snaring in the forests. These are mammals which most likely we will be able to trap, and learn something about at our next camp. This camp in the last week has become little more than a skinning factory for specimens from the zone below us altitudinally, when every effort should be made to get what is in this camp locality. Monday, June 22. Much rain and strong wind down valley during much of last night. A wild gray dawn this morning, with snow on the mountain down to about 13,400-13,500 ft., a bleak wind coming off the snow, and still light rain at camp. Similar conditions prevailed to the distant Finisterre and Papuan mountains; obviously a general weather disturbance. However, the sun broke through about 9:30 and shone until after lunch. Cold afternoon with light rain after 4 pm.; wind down valley. Max. 10.0, min. 4 C. Starting late into the field, after the boys had thawed out, I collected in the last bit of easy territory, down the stream from camp. Got a fair bag, the best plant being an obscure brown-green ground orchid of the Australian genus Sarcochilus. This is the second ground orchid from the alpine grasslands, the other being a Thelymitra. John left this morning to establish the #2 Camp down the slopes at about 9000 feet. I picked the spot on the way up from Keglsugl. Local men will be employed to build a couple of huts for our comfortable living. Tuesday, June 23. Max. 13, min. 5 C. Early morning with light frost though overcast after some light rain in the night. Mist on the high places most of the day, and over the Markham and Ramu valleys. Wind movement up valley. Climbed to the Ramu-Wahgi Divide at 8,600 ft. to the north of camp, then followed the divide up towards the high peaks to an elevation of 13,200 ft. (4000 m.). The Wahgi side of the divide is mostly grassy (probably deforested by fire?) from camp level up, with decreasing patches of subalpine forest. The Ramu slopes are forested to the summit of the divide up to an altitude of 13,100 ft., where the forest gives way to long alpine grass with numerous shrubs (see small note book for lists of species). At 13,200 feet the long-grass community gave way to a sterile stone field near the summit of one of the minor peaks of the mountain; a small gray Tetramolopium abundant there, and stunted versions of larger shrubs found at camp level. Found Detzneria, with its striking dark blue