-57- 8-9 o'clock. Scattered showers on lower slopes during afternoon. Every day we have in the afternoon a little wind coming from easterly directions - probably deflected southeast trades.. This is a lee coast in the southeast season. Busy a good part of the day on yesterday's collections; not much field work. Van had no catch from 90 traps set last night; nothing from night hunting. This afternoon his boy David saved the situation by shooting first a cuscus (Phalanger vestitus group) in the rain forest, then a big male wallaby on the grasslands. Tonight David shot a small male wallaby by jacklight. The wallaby is the species I saw in semi-captivity on Baniara government station. The Medine carriers straggled back today, having camped at Kwagira last night and walked around the head of Moi Biri Bay. All called in for a handout of news- paper with which to make cigarettes of the trade tobacco they received as carrier pay. They and the Baiawa carriers last night also brought betel nut from Binigui. Our boys have bought some from them and no doubt tonight they are pretty well drugged by it. Have put a prohibition on the chewing of betel nut during working hours. Sunday 5/10/53: Baiawa. Again a very clear morning. Felt barely comfortable under one blanket. Temperature at daylight (6 o'clock) 72 F. Mountain clear until about nine; upper and middle levels clouded after that until late afternoon, when the summit 2000 feet or so showed out. No rain here or observed on the mountain slopes. A distinct change in weather. In the quiet of the morning, before the easterly wind rises, we hear the low roar of a distant waterfall about south of Baiawa. It is perhaps on the Kinimaga River which rises on Dayman and according to the 1-inch map, peters out in a swampy area inland between Baiawa and Medine. Field work for this locality ended today. Results have been good in Geoff's departments; good in plants; poor in mammals. No mammals trapped in three nights; one short-tailed rat brought in by a villager. Three wallabies shot and one cuscus. In plants I have 81 numbers, 367 sets. Have concentrated on the grasslands and paid only passing attention to the limited rain forests. Rain forest mostly in dullies although the highest hill in the area (200 ft.) is capped with rain forest. I very much doubt if the extensive ridgy grasslands, or rather savannas, are a primary condition. The principal tree on the grasslands is Timonius 22171 (E.timon?); others Sarcocochalus, Albizzia procera, and another which I cannot identify or find in flower or fruit. The country rock is soft, greyish and gritty, and may be volcanic. It weathers into a soil dark grey when damp, and as seen in eroded paths on the grasslands, a yellowish sticky subsoil. Low scarped outcrops are frequent. Collected a sample of the rock today. Numerous native visitors today wandering about camp and standing staring into the resthouse and at us. Mostly local folk. Some few from Kewansasap and toward Medine. One man carrying the only native-owned gun I have seen in the area, is from Abuaro (near Baniara) on walkabout. Considerable shouting about the village this morning as two new canoes were hauled in from where they were adzed out in the bush. Small narrow things and one of them crooked. Monday 5/11/53: Baiawa. Weather as yesterday. Temperature at 6 A.M. 70 F. No rain here or observed on mountain or foothills. Mt. Victory and Gorupu clear of clouds in late afternoon. These mountains are cloudier than Dayman, and perhaps wetter at this time of year.