-59- About 12 houses in village, raised 4-5 ft. above ground; sago thatch. Coco- nuts (good) breadfruit, betel nut. Villagers sold us yams, taro and sweet potatoes for carriers. Good small rest house on bank of river; grand view of Goroyu. 10 carriers from Maneau village turned up about noon. Ken was at Kwagira to meet us, having walked down from Biniguni. Wednesday 5/13/53. Biniguni. Warm last night and this A.M. partly cloudy. Fine day. Left Kwagira 6:20 with 45 carriers. Remainder of cargo left in rest house. Crossed river 200 yds. below village (not the Kwagira River of the maps); clear cool stream ca. 50 yds. wide and 2 ft. deep; myself carried across. Light weight an advantage in New Guinea travel. Crossed creek 7:20, ca. 30 ft. wide; Peria River 7:40 (50 yds.; beautiful gravelly stream; floods high; 2 palm-leaf shelters where someone had camped at high water). Crossed Duduru Creek 8:05. Reached Opaigwi Village 9:15, alt. 70 m. 10 minute rest here. Carriers stayed eating food cooked by villagers. Very deep gorge of Gwarlu on west side of Mt. Dayman, a striking sight from village; glimpse of lower grasslands on mountain. Reached Budmaga #2 Village 9:15, alt. 13 m. 10 minute rest. Biniguni 145 m. reached 9:45 (alt. 5 P.M. 190 m.). Biniguni close under mountain; will be our base for next three months. Situation as regards carriers for mountain rather obscure. The local people will carry. Ken has sent word to Pumani at NE foot of mountain asking for extras. Geoff and I start up tomorrow morning with 8 Biniguni men and our own boys. Busy afternoon getting our gear ready for tomorrow and making a final check of collecting supplies for the proposed top camp on Dayman. Terrible din after our arrival this morning as Ken harangued assembled village constables and councillors re the trip up Dayman, the whole village and visitors joining in. Men mostly half tight on betel nut. Natives came from afar to trade for betel nut at Biniguni and neighboring villages. The coastal people bring mostly shellfish (according to Ken). There is also trade with coast people toward Cape Nelson, the people here getting cooking pots for string bags. Lime for the betel cheat is brought in from the coast. Many muddy patches on trail for about first hour. After that the land better drained, mostly alluvial, carrying splendid tall rain forest. Likely commercial value if the stands are extensive enough. Some very large Iimo (Octomeles) trees; also Sloanea sp. Could not recognize other constituents. Thursday 5/14/52: Slopes of Mt. Dayman. With 8 carriers, our collecting boys and Losima the #2 cook, Geoff and I left Biniguni at 7:10 on first stage of ascent. Clear cool morning; temperature at 5:30 65 degrees F. Traveled parallel with foot of mountain eastwards and reached Ginum River 8 o'clock. Little ups and downs through mostly secondary rain forest. Ground very stony; stones and rocks look waterworn. Most of land formerly cultivated. Coconut, betel nut and sipora tree mark old village or garden house sites. Boys stopped to gather pepper leaves and stems (Popo) for the betel chew. Ground under scattered big Okeri (Terminalia) stream with big red fruits which contain a good edible nut. Paradise birds noisy in forest. Rested 15 minutes at Ginum. Bouldery clear stream ca. 60 yds. wide; crossable from stone to stone. Long, high cascade falls to river on east side. Alt. 150 m.