-94- Friday, July 31, 1952: Day overcast; no rain. Min. temp. 20.5C (ca. 70 F) last night. We have become conditioned to the muggy heat of the day, at night the air is so soft that one is not conscious of contact with it. Two blankets necessary for comfort toward morning. We sleep under nets as a precaution, but there are very few mosquitoes. Made an excursion via Binigumi village (about 3/4 mile) to the Gwariu near its junction with the Mai-U (about 1 mile), and returned up the river to camp (about 1 mile). Ground much less stony than in the vicinity of camp; some good soil. But the forest is not well developed. This neighborhood lacks the maturity necessary for the development of good forest. The Gwariu, between camp and a sharp bend where it turns north from under the escarpment, divides into channels in a wide bouldery bed and shows evidence of violent flooding. Below the bend it has stable banks which on the east side rise steeply to 40-50 ft. This is good old alluvial soil and has been cleared for gardens. A hamlet of 3 houses and another of two. On the 1-mile map the stream we are camped on is called Gwadi Creek. Was assured by the Lohia (local chief) today that this is incorrect. The name is Gwariu. Have arranged with the Lohia for a runner to start for Baniara at daylight tomorrow, taking mail and a package of antibiotics research material for Pfizer. Saturday, August 1, 1952: Sun and overcast about half and half until noon; thereafter low mist in treetops and steady rain 6 - 8 P.M. Sultry in the forest this afternoon. Morning spent on yesterday's collection; half of afternoon in field, along the Ginum trail. Results poor. Most interesting plant an insect-eaten nondescript undergrowth tree of the Anonaceae with remarkable fleshy flowers. This was the market day set for the weekly bringing in of food for sale by the natives. Two or three hundred pounds of taro, yams, tailo and sweet potatoes, plus bananas and pumpkins, bought with salt and sheets of newspaper. Tonight in the rain one Tuasi with two friends from old Binigumi village brought in a great snake coiled around a pole and tied head and tail. Probably an amethystine python; it was bought for 2 dozen safety matches and five shillings. Much haggling by Ken. The asking price was four pounds. Sunday, August 2, 1953: Generally clear in morning, overcast and mist on mountain about 1000 feet above us from about noon to nightfall. Night dark and overcast. No rain. The river keeps at the same low level. Cut a track through the forest paralleled with the left bank of the river to the mouth of the Gwariu Gorge. Distance probably about 1000 yards from camp to where the river debouches from a north and south cleft in the mountain and turns west under the escarpment. The river is deflected west by a spur of the mountain of solid country rock rising 200-300 feet above the river. Altitude of stream at mouth of gorge 240 m. or about 40 m. above camp level. Entered gorge 200-300 yds.