(57) into"Threshold of the Pacific".Mr.Chinnery had great things to say about the gold fields up in Aitipe on the Eadie Creek.Real pay dirt and completely baffling all hitherto dicta about where,geologically, gold should be found.All of it is around 6000 feet,reached by the toughest sort of climbing.Airplane service has been established and is doing splendidly.It costs more to fly in than out(a consideration for corpses).He was also eloquent about the possibilities of bird- life in New Guinea,rapidly getting ripe for collecting.How many dif- different kinds.What beautiful plumage.And the means- three immense ri-vers:the Sepik,navigable for 600 miles with a vessel like the France. The Fly,also navigable for 150 or 200 miles.And the Ramu,navigable for 200 miles.There is another large river which empties at Brecher (Broken Water)Bay and the Ranu and Markham rivers,all giving ready access to the vast interior.But on most of them there are expanses of swamps where the culex,stegomia,and anopheles are"simply shock- ing",particularly the Sepik.He left us to depart on the Marsina en route to some scientific congress in Hobart,New Zealand.The New Guinea natives must be studied in the next fifty or hundred years or not at all because of the possibilities of disintegration and even extinction. The birds will last,as they have in all other places,and it is high time that the American Museum began to think about collecting systemati- cally on New Guinea.The possibilities of penetration with safety are very great now,enough for collecting purposes;and being extended every year. December 25 (Our Lord's Day) Everyone celebrated Christmas.Both the store and wireless office,not to mention the government offices,were closed.In the early morning Chinatown fired off salvos of firecrackers.All the crew of the France went over to a plantation owned by a Samoan lady for a sing-sing and general bust-up.The Mono pig was killed and Teora cooked a lavish dinner for evening kai-kai.Liquers were served but no songs or poems read(no bard sang).Sentiment was well maintained when some few simple presents were distributed amongst us.All the collecting gear has been assembled for the start tomorrow.We met our host,Mr.Esson to-day.He gave G.R.,a very hospitable evening and is a most likeable person.He will accompany us on the ship around to Arawa bay. December 26 Delays about a clearance permit and the arrival of Mr.Esson prevented an early departure.Hove up about 9:30,arriving at Arawa bay at II.We all had lunch on board.The boys landed everything in two boat- loads and the France promptly set sail for Rabaul.Luckily all the stuff was under a boat shed on the beach before a heavy afternoon rain.Later everything was moved into the plantation store where it can be arranged for transport and checked.The Doc,G.R.,and I were shown to comfortable quarters in Jock's house,which is characteristically on a hill where one has a lovely view of the sea and mountains.In the afternoon we talk- ed to the tultul from Amie village who did not seem very enthusiastic about getting carriers.Mr.Esson used his best tactics of persuasion;the lad did not savvy Kupei,which we intend to make our highest camp. December 27 The SS Maiwara suddenly appeared a day ahead of her sched- ule,an unheard of thing for a BP inter-island boat,which entailed much rousing on the part of Jock to get his copra loaded.He went over to Kieta to sign on some new boys,and we spent the day sorting supplies and packing them for the trip up the mountain.We intend to leave almost half here at Arawa to be sent for when we need it.Jock will be our agent.There is nothing he will not put himself out to do for us.