-55- Took on board at Medino 15 carrier volunteers in all, and a village councillor. Extensive grasslands on the hills between Medino and Baiawa. Hills rise close to coast. No sign of villages. Kept well off shore and outside the Sidney Islands, then turned in to Baiawa on the east shore of Moi Biri Bay. Entrance to Baiawa narrow between wide shore reefs, but passage good. Anchored about 100 yards from the mangroves in 6 fathoms. Entire shoreline of the bay fringed with mangroves. At Baiawa the mangroves about 300 yds. through. Canoes enter a very narrow and shallow passage, about 50 yds. inside of which is the head of long, raised causeway or duckwalk leading direct to the village. Duckwalk raised about 4 feet above the mud on very thin mangrove forks; decking of sticks, bits of old canoes, etc., and about 2-3 ft. wide. Rickety structure, but strong. Baiawa on a narrow fringe of gently sloping dry ground between the inner edge of the mangroves and a steep ridge rising immediately behind to 100 feet or more. Rest house perched on top of this ridge. Village unattractive. Mission and about a dozen houses. Houses have very low walls and are raised well above the ground on posts. Copra being made (sundried on raised racks) from a strip of coconuts behind the mangrove. A few unhappy looking [illegible] rubber trees on lower slopes of ridge. All but first carry-cargo unloaded in quick time and taken ashore on village canoes with ship's dinghy helping. Villagers, the carriers we brought from Medino, and six other carriers from villages between Medino and Baiawa, willingly carried the cargo up the steep hill. Fortunately the rest house is strongly built, for the split palm floor must be holding up nearly 2 tons of boxes, drums and bales of supplies. Arrangements made by Ken for transport of the first carry-cargo. Enough village canoes in sight to take it across the bay and up Moi Biri Creek to a landing place. About 17 Baiawa villagers offer to carry. Trouble with the carriers from Medino and intermediate villages. They wanted to be fed rice. Baiawa policeman said his village had no food to sell us for them. Spokesman for the Medinos was the councillor we brought on the boat, recognised by Chapman as an ex-War Production Board employee who gave trouble in Samarai. Finally the Baiawa V.C. admitted that native food was available and was given 10 sticks of tobacco for enough for our carriers for tonight and the morning. Everyone satisfied, but before the dispute was settled six of the Medino men vanished, presumably toward home. Have tonight the names of 35 men who offer to carry from the Boi Biri Creek canoe landing to Biniguni. Rest house very crowded. Barely room for the four of us to rig our camp cots. Thursday 5/7/53: Baiawa. Clear hot day. Mountains clouded on upper and middle levels by early afternoon. Showers on foothills and at Moi Biri Bay after 3 o'clock. About 2000 feet of top of Dayman showing clear above the clouds from about 5 to 6 o'clock. Went out to the "Jessie" at dawn to help Ken check cargo onto the canoes and to see him off. About 65 carrier loads put on 6 canoes. The bay glassy calm. The last canoe left about 6:30. Paddlers in good spirits, and singing. Most of the carriers sent overland around the head of the bay. "Jessie" left for Goodenough, Fergusson and Samarai about 8 A.M. The natives have been so cooperative in offering to carry that we thought there was a possibility of Kwagira and Kewensasap men offering at the Moi Biri landing this morning to take in the 25 loads that we of the main party are holding at Baiawa for Mt. Dayman top camp and Biniguni reserves. On account of tides in the shallow