and perhaps of chiefly blood, was paler skinned, short, with Neanderthal head, hair, and very prominent protruding buttocks. A friendly, intelligent man. Eric Osborne and his family, about 30 years ago, camped where we are now. His clearing is marked by tall tree-ferns, and an illegible name cut in the bark of a tree. Our older natives told us that a government man named [illegible] Jamison once camped here, and that a "good" track, now overgrown, leads to the summit. The mountain villages on our route were abandoned by government (no doubt ANGAU) orders during the war, we were informed. The people moved down to Jinju but they still use their old garden grounds; Saturday Oct. 13: Was kept awake much of the night by condensed mist dripping on my tent from a tree overhead. Light showers began toward daylight lasted to mid-morning Ridge, peak, then clear most of time to mid-afternoon. At other times mist, driving on a strong wind from about east over the saddle. Collected a few plants about camp while the boys put in a work, tool and storage shelter. Palm trunks and tying material (Calemus; Fragillaria) available in plenty. Other boys doing the regular jobs of rigging camp - work and storage facilities,, latrines, etc. Bus unwarily trod on a slippery pole in camp yesterday, fell and hurt his back- not very badly. He spent today lying down. out this evening by his boys. Sunday Oct. 14: Very heavy rain at daylight, followed by a dark, misty, blovy, showery day. Bad for field work. Collected a few plants at camp. than followed the track toward Abaleti. Track went along the side of the ridge, Losing altitude steadily. Forest (ca 70-50 ft. there end much undergrowth. Conditions wet; visibility badFound and, collected with a few ripe red fruits, two species of substage palms with feather leaves. An apycaceous canopy tree with very fragrant big white flowers was especially good. The old story of nothing in traps. Lionel and Kim jacking last night, shot three cuscus, a brown Melomys and a Macroglossus, besides picking up an amethystine python 7 ft. long and a big brown tree frog. Camp rigging, which because of the exposed position and rough rocky ground, has been a bigger job than usual was completed today. About half dozen men and boys paid us a visit bringing 10 eggs (bought for 2 sticks tobacco) & 6 papayas . No rain down below they said. They did not stay more than an hour in our mist and rain. Monday Oct. 15: Very heavy rain from about 11 PM to midnight. Completely misty sky with occasional light showers. One of the worst spells of weather I have ex- perienced. This is the 5th day of it The forest is saturated and dripping. Wind (a cloud drift) from NE today. The weather kept me in camp to mid-morning, after which I made for the peak. Followed the narrow ridge and by a track out by the mammal boys, then cut beyond that to the foot of a rock face ca. 200 ft. high on the north side of the peak. Could go no further on the precipitous slopes. The rock face overhung, and being in the Lee side gave dry conditions. A [illegible] white Iloya grew high on the rocks and out of reach. On trees near the rock face were one plant each of the purple tubular Dendrobium of Mt. Pabirama on Normanby (an orchid present on the mountains of all the islands we have visited) & a pale violet Boss Never have I seen a tropi- cal mountain so poor in orchids, (only 3 spp. collected so far) and ferns. The Rossel flora is the poorest yet, but I am collecting plants quite new to me. Again nothing in treps. Rain spoiled jacking last night, & only two Macro- glossus were shot. In nearly three weeks on Rossel all mammals but one rat have come from the guns. Now it develops that we are running short of ammunition, batteries and bait. We can make rat bait from supplies on hand. Batteries can be