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.