-138- enormously all through, excepting perhaps in his worst days at the beginning. Mulchay had little to say about her part. She has only one European sister to help her. They alternate on 24-hour shifts with native orderlies for help. Fortunately Geoff was the only patient in the hospital for several weeks. In the past two weeks there have been three maternity cases. Wednesday, November 4, 1953: Had a talk with I.A. Sirko, Medical Officer, at the hospital this morning. He considers Geoff to be now out of danger and has certified him as fit to travel home by air. With proper therapy he should be walking and talking in three or four months, and so far as his present affliction goes, live to a ripe old age. Air reservations for the return of Geoff and Van to the U.S. are not yet finalized. They will leave here by Qantas flying boat Thursday 12th. So far the air traffic agents here (Burns Philp & Co.) have not been able to get space on any plane across the Pacific so they have some sort of booking by BOAC to England and on to New York. "EF's" had a big party last night to celebrate the opening of their new store and their staff is not functioning very well today - those that are on the job. The air booking clerk is off duty. Heavy traffic back to the U.S. after the Melbourne Cup probably accounts for the planes being booked out. The difficulty about the present situation is that Geoff will be a stretcher case.