1956 Diary. March 21, 1956 to February 1, 1957.
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Transcription
Smith-Corona. Though carefully packed by me in New York, the plastic was badly out of shape when taken from the box in which it was shipped. The fancy frame of the machine, made of very thin metal, was pressed in in front so that the space bar could not move up and down. Most trouble was caused by the ribbon rewind mechanism, which still works only one way. To Dusty Miller's for dinner. There one of his boat captains (Ian) reported his arrival with our recruits from Goodenough and Fergusson. It appears that he has a couple of boys we had last time who were not satisfactory, and whom we did not want to employ again. During the morning Norman Izod arrived from Normanby Island and went into hospital for ob- servation and X-ray examinations. Has closed down his sawmill preparatory to going to Aus- talia for a holiday of several months. He has a white caretaker in charge. Offers us the use of a roomy native built house on the beach for use as a base, or if that is not well situated for us, the use of a partly built house at the sawmill, some three quarters of a mile inland, on the edge of good tall forest. Izod reports big bat caves at Bunama, on SE Normanby. Bert Crozier, an old times, who has prospected on the island and now lives near Izod, might be a useful source of information for us. The Rev. Ralph Grant, i.e. Methodist Mission at East Cape also has a lot of local knowledge, but Izod does not vouch for his veracity. Miller has a missing black and white film of a dance we saw at Opaigwari in 1953. He de- veloped the firm and made prints for Wynn, who actually made the photos with my Leica camera. Sunday, March 25: North breeze; no rain but considerable cloudiness. Day spent abstracting Terrain Studies of Woodlark and the Louisiades for information and a report of Cottrell-Dormer on Woodlark. Wrote to Rutledge, A.D.C. Esa'ala for information on Fergusson Island. Also wrote Adamach and Willis. On a walk down to the waterfront and swimming baths with Dusty and Ailsa in late afternoon, saw the big overseas vessel "Maybank" tied up to load cogra, and met Dr. Nespor, Medical officer of Samarai. Nespor a Lithuanian person. Was stationed at Baniara several years ago and while there went into the Tapitapipi bat caves with Cruttwell, and I think also to the Top of Mt. Simpson with Cruttwell and a control officer. Monday, March 26: Northerly again; fine day; not much cloud; hot on the flat out of the wind. Inspected our 8 recruits, after which Buntinh documented them, they had medical examination, and were outfitted. There are only two of the boys we had last time, Kim the cook and Isulele, a mammal boy. Isulele is not a boy I asked to have back, but as his previous not 100% satisfactory service may not have been due to the influence of older countrymen of the Norima coast who were in our party, I took him on. The Cook is signed on at 6 pounds a month, the others at 25 shillings. Three are from Goodenough Island, 3 from Kalo Kalo on Fergusson; and 2 from Morima on Fergusson. Several are of good physique for islanders, all look intelligent and alert, one Kalo Kalo has eyes that I don't quite like and therefore he will have to be one of my boys. One Goodenough is badly infected with the ringworm known sipoma, but this should soon clean up under treatment. Talked with old Tom Craig, a wily old timer resident in Samarai for some years and reputed to have made, and kept, several fortunes as a trader in different places, the last being a business established in recent years in Port Moresby and sold lately for 80,000 pounds (ca. $160,000). Craig was on Sudest Island for 13 04 14 years. He knew places by name but, perhaps through failing sight, was not very good at finding them on the map. Recommended landing at Rambuso on the northeast coast for good forest (Father Eard did the same); from there the island can be crossed in a day to Pewa, where Williams lives and there is good forest. Bowla on central north coast recommended as landing place for Mt. Rattle- snake, as there is considerable population and a village policeman there; from base at Bowla strike inland either from the 16-mile or Joe landing, to west of the village. Could also go to Mt. Rattlesnake from Hinni Bay on south coast, where there is population and accord- ing to the map (Sheet 8 of Hydrographic Office chart for Papua-Louiside Archipelago) a spacious valley. Craig lives in Hinae Bay. He says a boat could be chartered from the Catholic Mission on Nimoa Island; Mission has small coconut plantation on north coast.