Sunday Dec. 30: Intensely hot and no rain. Hear that a day or two ago the temperature in Samarai went up to 92 F., with relative humidity at 82%. Said to have been the hottest day ever recorded here. Spent the afternoon writing letters. There was a cricket match between Port Moresby and Samarai which I did not attend. The visitors scored 170 odd to the home team's 120 or so. There must have been some fairly good cricket. Monday Dec.31: An overcast, still day. A northerly swell breaking on the fringing reef of the island late in the day. We seem to be close to rain. Two hours work this morning finished the crating job. This afternoon I typed lists of box contents, and crate contents, did a detailed valuation of the cargo, and wrote Buntings giving particulars for the shipping documents. Am putting an insurance valuation of £5000 on the shipment to the Museum, £1500 on the Rijksherbarium consignment. Tuesday Jan. 1: A good fall of rain between noon and 1:30 pm. Took part in some of the New Year's Day social activities: drinks at Dick Paul's house in the morning (a big affair for the two cricket teams and the elite of the island; lunch with the Fred Merediths. Dusty and Ailsa returned late in the afternoon from Wadelei, Ailsa's trade store in Hughes Bay on Ferguson Island. Wednesday Jan. 2: A strong north breeze and the coolest weather Samarai has had for a long time. Had to stir up officialdom about my export permits which were applied for by radio on Christmas Eve. Womersley's permit to export the botanical collections came in a mail that arrived by ship from Port Moresby this morning. Cottrell-Dorner, at my request, called the Department of Agriculture about permit to export the zological collections. ADO Crai Symons called up the Government Anthropologist re permit to export artifacts. All the boys but Kim wre paid off today. Their pay at 25/- a month comes to £11-5-0, besides which they have 10/- bonus pay for six months and 5/- Sunday pay for 21. Sundays worked since the beginning of July. For natives of their type, they are rich men for the time being. Total pay £20-5-0. Have been offered passage to Milne Bay on the government trawler "Huon" tomorrow to meet Carsair. The "Kitava", which meets the plane every week for the agents will be leaving Samarai at the unearthly hour of 3:30 am Friday. The "Huon" (Capt. Bill Johnston) leaves at 1 pm tomorrow and will stay overnight in the Bay.