-2- 3/4/53 (Cont'd) The hill, Port Moresby coast was close ahead at dawn. Grassy sea-facing slopes a pale green. Dark timber (monsoon forest) in gullies. Eucalyptus savanna forest behind the first line of hills. Dark clouds covering the mountains inland. We swing in to the airport over Bootless Inlet and landed on a good wartime runway, partly bitumen-surfaced and partly of metal matting. Airport buildings few and unpretentious. No bustle in handling passengers and their baggage. We had filled in Customs declarations, but all the officer wanted to know was whether firearms were carried. There was no inspection. Was met at airport by Bernard Ryan of Burns, Philip & Co., our agents on previous expeditions, but not this time. Am staying at the Papuan Hotel. New place, not bad to look at, but badly run. For example, the hotel has no arrangement for laundry and neither desk lady nor housekeeper can, or will, advice where it can be done. Food poor though mostly fresh (not canned) and helpings scanty. Was sent upstairs to put on a tie for dinner. Few people staying here. The verve and flavor of the old days have gone. Day spent in interviews with government officers. Administrator D.M. Cleland is away on tour. Forest Director J. McAdam away on leave. First saw Govt. Secretary Steve Lonergan. Pleasant man who delegated his #2 man, Claude Champion, just back from Australia and nominally still on leave, to introduce me to department heads and make arrangements for the expedition. Lonergan evidently efficient, for all departments concerned have a file on us. Not clear yet what assistance we will get from Government, but feel optimistic except as regards Customs duties. Chief Customs Collector Frank Lee a narrow type of civil servant who seems inclined to follow every line in the book, and appears somewhat anti-American (first official of the type met here or in Brisbane). John Foldi, Asst. Director of District Services & Native Affairs (Chief Roberts is on leave) a genial giant who, I feel, will be helpful. Day ended with a non-business call on Ivan Champion who has done much exploration (Royal Geographical Society Gold Medalist) and is now in charge of a new de- partment or sub-department set up to determine native ownership of all lands and establish a title system for the whole country. Europeans for many years have been unable to buy land. Government buys from native owners and leases to white men. Thursday 3/5/53: Ivan Champion picked me up at the hotel at 8 o'clock and we drove out to the Govt. offices at Konedobu (2 miles) in his Land-rover or British Jeep. First called at Forestry Dept. and talked with Clarke, an office man temporarily in charge. At Foldi's office scanned some recent patrol reports on the country we plan to work in; not much information I do not already have, and none on the mountains proper. Took up with Ivan Champion such matters as collecting permits, Govt. assistance and attachment of Govt. personnel to our party. When official permission for our work was granted, a request was made that "at least one copy (sic) of all botanical and entomological material collected should be deposited with the Government." I find that the "Government" is the Govt. of Papua/New Guinea - the plant material to go to the Forest Herbarium at Lae (the only one in the country), the insects to the Dept. of Agriculture (which has an entomological staff). Discussed permits with ______ Granger, in charge of conservation at Dept. of Agriculture. None required to collect plants, insects or mammals. A permit may be required for protected birds such as birds-of-paradise, but Granger is not thoroughly familiar with the laws and will advise later. Dept. of Agriculture will issue permits for export of collections at end of