(148) August 17 - Multitude of business. Thank the stars Tait & Co., sent our cargo from Sydney without prevarication. This means we can work in the domain of Papua before returning to Faisi whence we shall proceed to Choiseul. If the adjustment goes as planned, the expedition shall not suffer; the only real goat is Cyrus Hamlin M.D. No collecting accomplished. August 18 - Rainy. More business - mostly with the administration. The R. Commissioner's yacht "Ramadi" is left without a skipper, the crisis of having to advance a new one occurring rather late - Lang is to take the job temporarily. Secured sulphur for fumigation by scouring all the stores in Tulagi. August 19 - (Sunday) Prepared vessel for fumigation. Packed books, writing. Rain forced us to postpone the start until tomorrow. August 20 - All magazine & ammunition out of the hold. Sulphur pots ignited at 9 o'clock with instructions for careful look-out. Negotiated a loan from W.R. Carpenter & Co., through the Tulagi Manager, Mr. R. G. Scrymgour - a good friend of mine; this enabled me to pay off Lang - he goes to the government. God's Truth! Captain Crookshank officially took over command of the "France" to-day. Opened the ship at 10 P.M. August 21 - Delays. No reply yet to my cable to Samarai. David and Charlie ashore collecting. One large rat killed on deck - certainly escaped out of the hold when it was opened - I hope it is the last survivor. Dinner at Mr. Scrymgour's. August 22 - Samarai wireless came to-day. Capt. & Mrs. Crook- sbank moved their luggage on board this afternoon. We cannot sail before noon tomorrow due to various compli-cations involving customs, cargo duty or same, clearance, sea-gear, and other things. No collecting. August 23 - Awe up at 2.30 P.M. and at last got the hell out of Tulagi. Dirty night in dangerous channel bet., Guadalcanal and Florida I.s. Used engine until 4 A.M. when we cleared the Atoll Ears. August 24 - At sea. Rain squalls & adverse tidal currents. Saw terns, interspersed with shearwaters. Wind variable. Searching for collecting.