15 Lae-Eastern Highlands my guess was volcanic ash. The broad plains of the Markham and Upper Ramu rivers, said to be gravelly, covered with kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) and for the most part treeless (some scattered trees said by Womersley to be Nauclea) are puzzling to me. Reading about them, I thought they must be secondary, following cultivation and deforestation by numerous native population. The erosion pattern of grassy foothills on both sides of the Markham Valley suggest deforestation. The dry, flat, grassy plains of the middle of the valley are over large expanses without streams or dry gullies. Are these grassy plains climatic? White settlement is perhaps too recent for rainfall records to tell much. Our first landing was at Arona, 4000 ft., on the eastern edge of the highlands and on a feeder stream of the Ramu. An old-established livestock experiment station of the government here, in charge of John Gunliffe, whose wife, Pat, provided morning tea and coffee. Station of 3-4 thousand acres looks run down; carries only about 80 grade Shorthorn cattle and a few horses at present; govern- ment trying to sell it but area too small for commercial cattle raising, accord- ing to talk. Unloaded a pile of wartime Marsden matting and sundry packages, and took on a boxer bitch for service at Goroka. The Lae-Highlands Road, climbing the Dividing Range from the Markham Valley, reaches the top near Arona. Next stop was at Aiyura, a flight of only 7 minutes. Another pre-war agricultural station, where cinchona was planted from seed flown out of Java after the outbreak of World War II. Cinchona plantings now neglected but for some improved strains being kept as a reservoir in case of a possible emergency. Aiyura now a coffee research station in charge of "Aub" Schindler. Also there is headquarters of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, some sort of religious organization concerned with carrying the gospel to the natives in their own language. Quite a job, considering the statement of some authority that about 500 languages are already known from the Territory of New Guinea. Activities of the Institute recently extended to Telefomin, near the Dutch border. At Kainantu, 4 minutes from Aiyura, heavy rain had fallen and the strip was muddy. A Sub-District Headquarters of the Eastern Highlands. Has the distinction (?) of a small hotel built in anticipation of the opening of the Lae-Highlands Road. Goroka will then be a day's drive from Lae, in good weather. Rains are expected to make Kainantu a convenient day from Lae. Took on there Patrol Officer Bob Greeney, who as P.O. in charge of Esa'ala on Normanby Island in 1953, went with us to Goodenough and helped us find a route into the mountains. Bob now going on 15 months leave, and bound for England, with intention of driving across Africa from Dar-es-Salaam, then north across the Sahara. Caught a glimpse of extensive alluvial gold mining operations by natives near Kainantu. Ten thousand pounds worth of gold reported sold there by natives last year. Ran into clouds upon leaving Kainantu and had only glimpses of the ground to Goroka, reached in 20 minutes. Goroka, and next to it Mt. Hagen, are the principal airports of the Highlands. Average traffic at Goroka one plane every 10 minutes (but no night traffic here or anywhere else in eastern New Guinea). Largest planes operating are DC 3s and old 3-motor Junkers. The Junkers are pre- war jobs, described as "masses of spare parts flying in close formation". The story is that several of them were found in Sweden, minus engines, doors and windows, and with birds nesting in them. Fitted with Australian Wirriway engines, they land at about 35 mph and can use airstrips impossible for the livelier DC 3s. Goroka at 5500 feet.