Tuesday August 14: A heavy rain squall from the SE delayed our departure from Bwagaia until 8:40 am. Eric Ryan is not a seaman and is rather timid about his boat. The "Titan" is a 40-footer, sloop rigged (she at lease carries a jib), and has a new 40 hp Ailsa Craig engine. One bunk in the wheelhouse aft; no accomodation for passengers. Ryan uses her as a trading boat, picking up copre and shell, and selling manufactured goods. Has a big stock of trade on board this trip. Had a rather rough passage on the open water past the Renard Islands and until we passed through the barrier reef of the Calvados Chain. This was at 1:30. At 2:25 stopped at the big island of Pana-wina to set down a native passenger at Bunting's coconut plantation. At 4:05 anchored at small Nigahau Island to trade. I went ashore. Some goods sold for cash and bags left to be filled with copra which Eric will pick up on his return journey. Very clean village with about 20 houses. Houses quite big as a rule. A government resthouse and a new RC church, the latter still unfinished. The mission has a native women teacher here. The resthouse used as school. Several big built-up canoes on the beach; painted white. A number of Japanese green glass fishing floats in the village. Left Nigahau at 4:45 and anchored for the night at Grassy (or Wanim) island. Slept in the government resthouse on NW end of the island. Sandflies bed; big old megapode mound at resthouse; megapode calling at night. Wednesday August 15: Left Grassy Island 7:15 am. Village on north end of island, close to resthouse, has several old-style hog-backed houses. Gardens being cleared and burned in relic bit of rain forest in gullies on the slopes. Passed along the south coast of big Pana-tinana or Joarmet Island. Good forest cover on the west end of this island. All the islands of the Calvados Chain are hilly. Much grass on some of them; secondary condition following deforestation for cultivation. Looks like the dry season for these islands: numerous smokes from grass fires; many patches of newly burned grass. Reason for burning the grass not plain; there are no wallabies on the islands. Anchored to look for trade off a small village near Son-of-a-Bitch Point on Pana-tinana. A good bed of gold-lip pearl shell here, in 18 fathoms, and a number of lives have been lost in diving for it. Hence the name of the point, which seems to be Utana Point of the chart. Anchored at Nimeo at 9:15; headquarters of the Catholic Mission in the Louisianes. Good buildings; very well kept. Father Twomey, the one priest stationed here, was away in Samarai. Brother King, very young, clean looking Australian from Laverton, Victoria, temporarily in charge. A convent with three European sisters, whom we did not see. Big white statue of Christ on the cross, and a flower-bedecked grotto of the Virgin. Brother King offered us rum and water. We had morning tea with him- nut bread and pretty little cakes and iced cookies. Mission has electric light and a boat. About 170 boys and girls in the school, which is now out on holidays. Mission has big food gardens on Sudest, across a couple of miles of water to the south. Our call at the mission was largely to arrange for cargo from Samarai to be dropped there for us, and for making an arrangement with the mission to forward the cargo to us in their boat. Left Nimeo 10:45, passed Griffin Point at 12:45, anchored at Joe Landing at approximately 1:50. A good resthouse at Joe landing (proper name, Imagailuai), and from it a track crosses the island, close to Mt. Riu or Rattlesnake, the highest peak (2645 ft.) on the island. A village policeman, one Bom, here. Genial man of middle age and small stature, well covered with sipoma. Remembers the time when (about 1914-15) one of the Richhorns went in from Bowla village and spent a week on the mountain. According to Bom, Tommy Craig was with Richhorn. Bowla village, perhaps 2-3 miles east along the coast, is no longer in existence;