-116- and a medical aid post, the latter down on the waterfront. We are camped in the office building; galvanized iron roof and concrete floor; well built but timbers (American softwoods) being eaten by termites. Wednesday, September 23, 1953: Heavy gusts of SE wind during the night and occasional rain souls. Mountains very clear this morning. They are steep, and the crowning peaks craggy and grassy. With the help of numerous natives from Nearby Beli Beli and other villages, had our cargo ashore and in the house by 9:30 A.M. Natives paid 1 stick of tobacco each. Rest of day spent in sorting and ar- ranging stores and getting camp in order. Water has to be brought from a creek about 20 minutes away. A 2-wheeled cart and 2 fifty-gallon drums used for this. Formerly water was brought down from the hills by pipeline. Village policeman from Wakonai, summoned by Greeney, confirms the existence of a track over the range from his village. Used frequently. Travelers sleep under a rock or in a cave near the top, but can cross in one day. Thursday, September 24, 1953: Ken left for a reconnaissance of the mountain trail, and Greeney on a patrol around the north part of the island, both going as far as Vivigani on Ramsden's boat. Greeney proposes to climb the range from the west side and meet ken somewhere on top. Botanized inland to the creek from which we get our water and followed a forest strip toward the hills. A note from Ken informing me of his opportunity to go to Vivigani by boat and decision to start for the mountains a day earlier than was planned brought me back to camp early. Forest seen all second growth rain forest, though large trees present. Most things gathered are new to the collection. Friday, September 25, 1953: Gusts of very strong wind, day and night, are a feature of this locality. A sharp shower at daylight the only rain in 48 hours. Mountains cloudy more or less, and obscured by a brownish haze. Botanized north along the shore to the mouth of a mangrove creek, then inland through a gully strip of old secondary rain forest to back near camp. The gully depression swampy in the middle and containing some young sago palms. The sago of this area is prickly, that of the Cape Vogel and Moi Biri Bay areas smooth. Most of my plants today from the grasslands. Several square miles of grassland around here, broken by strips of rain forest along streams. No doubt an old secondary condition. A Themeda the dominant grass, Albizia aff. procera the characteristic tree in a savanna stand (Albizia deciduous and now partly bare of leaves.) Van is doing well with mammals. Six species to date including 2 Rattus, a Phalanger, Petaurus, Pteropus, and Nyctimene. The latter an extraordinary tube-nosed bat, the long nose processes, leading edges of wings, etc., being an eerie green spotted with white.