Lionel returned from the mountains at noon - unexpectedly early. With good travel, he reached a camp site in the forks of a fair-sized creek at an estimated 1000 feet, at the foot of Mt. Rattlesnake (or Riu) in 5 1/2 hours from Joe Landing. From there climbed nearly to the summit of the mountain, past Michhorn's reputed camp site of 40 years ago. This took 2 1/4 hours. No water near the Michhorn site. A good second site for a camp on the track about 400-500 ft. above the creek, on the crest of a broad ridge. Mossy forest conditions not encountered anywhere. Description of the second camp site appears to indicate oak forest, and Tinker carried an acorn back in his pocket. Rather disappointed in the report. We will not be able to camp as high on the mountain as I hoped. The summit area should be attainable for botanizing from the second camp site. Altitudes are, or course, estimated, now that we have no aneroid. Had my first sight of Riu from Brimamois village on the way into the field this morning, and another view from a 2 mile or so farther inland. It would be an exaggeration to call the peak a Matterhorn, but it is steep towards the summit and very limited in area. Viewed from ca. NW there is a side pinnacle a few hundred feet from the summit; Michhorn said to have camped in the saddle between the pinnacle and the main peak. Have send out word for at least 35 carriers for early Thursday morning. Two native sailing canoes from Grassy Island put in at dusk to spend the night at Loc Landing. Said to be on a sago-making expedition. Canoes each with 5-6 people on board (men, boys and women); rigged with a lug sail (European material). Wednesday August 22: A lot of high thin overcast today, but no rain. Strong SE wind at times. All busy with preparations for leaving for the mountains tomorrow. Joe Landing has yielded me for 6 days 103 numbers of plants (7 of them bryophytes) and 605 sheets of specimens. A better collection than I expected from a locality largely deforested. The relic rain forests in gullies on the slopes have yielded a good number of trees in flower or fruit. This has been the poorest camp yet for insects. Hardly anything most night from the light trap. Few butterflies and odonata. The best yield has been in spiders. For the second day in a row, Lionel spent about an hour on the reef with his fishline and a borrowed canoe. Another good meal of fish; the only one I know of four spp. being a red emperor. For the second night we have been listening to U.S. Armed Forces radio reports on the GOP presidential convention in the Cow Hall, San Francisco. A lot of hoop-la so far, with indications of a fight coming up on Nixon for Vice- President. There is probably a constellation (between the vicinity of some) "Crown" or "Corona" (for Taurus). Only three intermediate stars of two 1/2. were seen at dusk, and one, a [illegible] star.