Wed. July 11 - Suc Samarai. (Kari's reefs.) 49 Thursday July 12—Saturday July 14: Voyage on the 50-foot river scow "Kari" from Samarai to Misima. Tediously slow trip and the last two days quite rough southeast weather. The Kari, built by Bjerne Halvorsen, Sydney, in 1951, owned by Steamships Trading Coy; one of several scows known as "K" boats. In a poor state of maintenance; had to reduce speed to 4-5 knots on account of a worn propeller shaft overdue for replacement. Cabin had only two bunks. Lionel slept on the fantail aft — when the weather was not too rough. The ship fed us. We delayed departure from Samarai for half an hour to pick up freezer meat, provided as a special gesture by Dicky Paul, steamship manager. Two pounds of the toughest steak it would be possible to get. Left Samarai at 6:30 on Thursday; anchored off Gabugabutau Island, Conflict Group, 9:15 pm. Managed at present by an Englishman named Mist, who did not put in an appearance. Frequent turnover of managers at the Conflicts. Remote; no native po- pulation. Friday 6:45 am left the Conflicts after unloading cargo. Ship's native skipper in no hurry. Anchored off Nivani Island, Deboyne Lagoon, 5:50 pm. Just to the north of Nivani is Pannapompom, further north and larger, Pannieti (spelling). These islands apparently of reddish clay; they have a brownish appearance proba- by due to the type of rather low-looking forest they carry. Went ashore to the hospi- table house of Albio Mundt, whose father owns and planted the islands to coconuts. Mundt Sr. now on his second cruise world-cruise in three years. Albie is a half-caste out of a Greek-Papuan cross; married to an attractive Scottish girl (Mary) who speaks with a broad accent and has made a good home. Bride of World Mar 2 in which Albie served in the RAAF. His brother Harry there at Nivani, too. Much quieter type. Halfcaste out of a Misima woman (ancestry according to Lionel). Also a guest was Mac Longmore, a personable copra inspector from Samarai spending the third month of leave from duty with friends throughout the islands. Nivani long ago was district headquarters for the Louisiades. During the last war the Japs had a flying boat base here. The remains of a Mitsubishi (?) bombrt, crash landed after the Battle of Coral Sea, lies on the opposite shore og Pannapompom. Until two or three years ago the fortnightly Qantas flying boat landed there. There is still a buoy for the flyingboats in the strait between Nitvani, for the other side of the island is exposed in the NW season, and the small boats of the area change anchorage with the seasons. Saturday 14th left Nivani at 6:30 pm, arrived Bwagaola on the SE end of Misima about 2 o'clock. Total steaming time about 32 hours for the 140 miles. This, after clearing Deboyne Lagoon, the roughest part of the trip. Heavy wind; high seas. Only occasional glimpses of parts of Misima. Western end of the south coast, which we followed, very rugged and cliffy. Old coral limestone elevated several hundred feet, apparently terraces. Had poor views. Sea pounding on cliffed shores broken here and there where creeks ran from the mountains tto the sea. A nice place for a propeller to drop off. Bwagaola, administrative headquarters for the Louisiades sub-district, obviously in a run-down state. Nobody put in an appearance at the small wharf but a few natives, in Saturday afternoon frame of mind, and several small halfcaste boys and girls. Buntins and Burns Philp stores (latter a big place) still stand near the wharf. Walked up the slope through scattered government buildings until we found the house of Patrol-Officer Bruce Teague, in charge of the station in the absence on patrol of ADO McLeod. Bottles and half-glasses of beer on tables; an unshaven, red-eyed young chap reclining in a chair turned out to be Des Fitzter, in charge of native coopera- tive stores in the sub-district. Teague eventually appeared; in a daze. It developed that a resthouse that used to be here for the use of travelers was blown down in a hurricane in 1952. Fitzter came to his senses first and offered us the use of space in a new co-op bulk store for the storage of our cargo. Most of the things had been car- ried the hundred yards or so to the co-op place when Teague sent for the lory to a government store behind the wharf which contained only half a dozen cases of govern- ment canned meat. Meanwhile, two young and very sober men put in an appearance. One turned out later to be Ian McCollum, a cadet patrol-officer of three months service, and the other Griffin, local schoolmaster; We are staying with Ian (farmer's son from the Tweed River in NSW). Had dinner with Griffin (Bill), rather girlish in manner but