Passed one 5/12 at the fourth bend. Just above very farthest point was a big gravelly island with a patch of small trees growing on it. Below the island a big sluggish tributary came in on the left. Saw five hamlets, all all on the right bankand four of them below the fourth bend. One hour visited in the forest of the leftjust above very far point, All along the river most of the slopes & all the little flats had been cultivated. Very little primary forest except on the very steep slopes and the crest of the higher hills. At my far point I was behind the coastal, which runs to 3000 feet. The one hill visible upstream was only 400-500 ft. high. The river is tidal past the fourth bend a distance of about 2 miles but the water is quite fresh below that point.. At the mouth it is only half salty. For some distance above the fourth bend some millions of small speckled fish about 12 in. long, were moving upstream. I take it to be the annual visitation of whitebait. They were too fast for me when I tried to catch some in a butterfly netBut the boys caught a pound or so in an old basket they found on the river bank. Up river was as poor for insects as for plants. Saw very few butterfliesonly two species of dragonflies. Caught only one dragonfly, a fine big Gomphid, and one damselfly. The village is infested with mangy, underdeveloped weak mongrel dogs, They snap and snarl at all hours of day and night. Last night the cook havinn greased my two pairs of boots left them in the detached kitchen. It was a thoughtless thing to do. This morning I was shown the result. Lower end of laces eaten off. Tops of the full water-proofing inserts chewed away. I'm lucky the damage was no worse. Near my far point up the river today on the richt bank some Dawa Dawa men were clearing somm forest for the planting of some experimental coff trees. Councillor ADELEI was there. They call coffee "Cof". Thursday Dec. 6:Weather continues to be about SW. Rainless 24 hours but for slight shower about 1 pm. My missing typewriter and some mail brought from Samarai today by Maluru Mark of Gwaiwili. A letter dated yesterday, from Rus, says they have been delayed by the non-appearance of Lumley's boat and will be sailing on the "Chinampa" at twelve tonight. In four days on the mainland they had the remarkably good haul of 13 specimens species, 59 individuals (Dactylonax, Pseudocheirus, Nyctimene albiventer, Rousettus, a very bit Pteropus, Uromys, Pogonomys, Syconycteris, Pipistrellus, Phalanger orientalis, Malomys, Petaurus, large Thappingamust have been very poor, if traps were set (only the Melomys is likely to have been trapped.) I have spent the day in camp. Have decided to vacate this camp at the first opportunity, and today I expected a boat to go by en route to the head of the bayto pick up Corsair passengers, etc., due early tomorrow, Perhaps the flight has been delayed. This morning I called my boys ibto council in the hope that from one of them I could get information on a locality with "good bush"suitable for botanizing. No information was forthcoming. I lean towards the south coast (Susu), not far from Samarai. A large area there, between Fyfe Bay and Samarai(and Milne Bay for that matter) has not been touched for plants except for a few numbers collected in the 1870's by the missionary James Chalmers. Friday Dec. 7: Sultry day of high thin overcast. No wind at all. Not a glimpse of the eun. Was packed up before nine and waited all day for a boat to turn up, going in the direction of Samarai. None came. Did not hear the sound of the plane at the head of the Bay, so conclude it did not arrivefrom Port Moreaby. The tender "Kitava" passed at daybreak, going