-90- Wednesday, July 22, 1953: Max. 25, Min. 17.5 C. Last night was quite warm. Today almost entirely overcast. Mist in the tree tops at camp level, ca. 2-6 P.M. Showers visible on lowlands in late afternoon. No rain here. Worked up the slopes to about 900 m. in the oak forests to a pandanus-leaf shelter which was built by our transport natives after we made the ascent of the mountain. Saw at about 850 m. a solitary big tree which looked like Nothofagus, but it was too big to cut, and unclimbable. Some good plants collected in a gully at the shelter. And on deep raw humus matted with roots in the oak forest. I found Corsia again, this time in association with Sciaphila. Van collected his 1000th mammal today; I my 2000th plant number for the trip. For the first evening since field work commenced at this camp I am not fighting against the almost irresistable urge to scratch at "scrub itch" bites. The forests are infested with the mites which cause the itch. Rubbed U.S. Army repellent Scat on forearms and lower legs this morning. Am uncertain whether Scat repelled the mites or whether two or three rainless days have made them inactive. Am inclined to credit Scat. In the beginning here, my boys picked up leeches every day and they were even in camp. Have not seen one lately. Thursday, July 23, 1953: Max. 25, Min. 17.5 C. Weather as yesterday but for a sharp shower between 5 and 5:30 P.M. Night broken cloudy, stars bright. Yesterday's big collection kept me in camp. Having to pickle some material. Specimens drying slowly. The corrugated strawboards of my drying apparatus were half flattened by the always rain-wet material of #2 Camp. Have 1/3 of my dryers in good condition at Biniguni and a stock of new strawboards in Samarai. Boys sent into the field distinguished themselves mainly by cutting down a big tree to catch a rat (Pogonomys) whose k[illegible] home in a knot hole they spotted from the ground. Good plants were a high climbing Vaccinium with very conspicuous red flowers, sporadic in the forests, and an orchid which climbs to 15-20 (m. or in., poor copy) and bears thousands of small purple-spotted flowers. Took bearings on the coast to fix the position of camp. They did not work out. Put us on the coastal plain and well east of where we ought to be. From our viewpoint, the coast does not look as it does on the maps. I took Ken's names for features and they must be wrong. Will have to do some map study and hope for rain to clear the air of the brown SE haze which obscures the coast and the mountains of Cape Wilson. Friday, July 24, 1953: Max. 25.5, Min. 18 C. Heavy clouds at dawn. Steady soaking rain began 11:10 and lasted until nearly 6 P.M. Night sky overcast. Went down to the waterfall on the Atairo about a mile NE of camp at the altitude of 500 m. Track follows an oak-forested spur to 650 m., below which the slopes are very steep and rubby[illegible]nd vegetated with mostly secondary rain forest. An old hpise or village site at 600 m.; a betel nut palm with exceptionally big yellow fruits growing there. Nothing special about the waterfall; drop of about 100 ft. in two steps; big clear pool below. Rock walls in the spray area partly covered with small ferns, white balsams and a big Elatostema. I failed to see the wild grandeur reported by Geoff and Van.