(56) trol includes twenty armed police boys,mostly from New Guinea,and one police officer.He is under orders not to fire except in absolute nec- essity.Attacks are very infrequent and not the rule;they are occa- sioned by fear or in indignant retaliation for the trouble some for- mer white visitor has inflicted.The usual thing is to enter a new vil- lage and find it wholly deserted except,perhaps,for a few old men,meris and children.Much of this was imparted by company at the home of Messrs Ebery & Walsh where G.R.,Doc,and I had dinner.Mr.Samson,a patrol office who was just recently shot in the ankle from ambush while attempting to enter the village of Mingetta in the Bagana district is recuperating there.Major McAdam,the D.O.visited the France to-day. December 21 Very heavy rains to-day.By visiting the store and chatting with everybody,we have picked up much local knowledge concerning trails, natives,carriers,etc.Traders and missionaries come in and each one has something casually to offer.The steamer SS Marsina is expected on the 23rd or 24th.All of us have been writing letters,and of much weight and opinion. December 22 The Doc and I visited the hospital where Mr.Goad,the medi- cal assistant showed us around a rather good plant,for natives.For the first time I saw some really bad cases of yaws.We gatherd more local dope by talking to him and reading reports of medical patrols.He pre- sented us with a dozen bottles of metyl spirits containing about 25 specimens of snakes,lizards,one iguana showing the dorsal scales,a few fish,some insects- mostly ugly centipedes.Gun permits to collect(really to carry a gun),which were sent for to Rabaul a few days ago arr- rived to-day.This law is in effect to protect the natives from vio- lence by possible vigilante parties in retaliation for offence.Major McAdam said we could shoot anything;there are no protected birds on Bougainville.G.R.,walked over the hill to Arawa plantation,which we hope will be our base,to interview Mr.Esson,the manager. December 23 The Doc and I purchased all the required stores for our trip at the lone store of Ebery & Walsh.In the afternoon we paid ano- ther call on Mr.Goad at the hospital. December 24 The Marsina came in about 9 A.M.Numerous small craft are in Kieta harbor to pick up mail and Sydney or Rabaul shipments of goods.Among them is the A.V.Marqueen from Marqueen or Mortlocks I., which is peopled by semi-Polynesians.George,our mate,who has a sincere interest in the migrations of his people,was not slow in making friends with the boat's crew.Mr.Chinnery,chief government anthropolo- gist for the territory paid us a call which resulted in some very interesting information.He has been in Rabaul for over 20 years,advis- ing about methods of penetration and native control.He has done all kinds of this work but stays in Rabaul most of the time now to give the young men a chance.Gregory Bateson(Cantab.)who was with Beebe on the Arcturus venture,is one of his present assistants.These young scholars go into newly penetrated country and remain in close asso- ciation with the natives for a year or more until they have derived all the ethnological dope they can.Then they return to England or Australia to publish.This means they must acquire a knowledge of the local language,an unearthly undertaking.Fox is the best example I can think of,and it took him ten years to gather the stuff he has put