P 16 FEB. 13 (CONT.) SOME NATIVES SELLING CORAL - BOTH NATURAL & DYED. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF COPRA ACTIVITY ON THE PIER, LARGE BAGS BEING LOADED OR UNLOADED FROM LUGGERS. COPRA, AS I UNDER- STAND IT AT PRESENT, IS THE PARTIALLY SUN-DRIED MEAT OF COCO- NUTS. SENT TO PLANTS WHERE THE OIL IS EXPRESSED. IT HAS A SMOOTH ALL-PERVADING ODOR. I STILL HAVEN'T HAD A DRINK OF COCO- NUT MILK ON THIS TRIP. SOME OF THE PASSENGERS TAXIED OUT TO THE "WESTERN PACIFIC" HOTEL WHERE THEY HAD FINE BREAKFAST FOR 4 SHILLINGS FIJI (ABOUT 50¢). THE HOTEL IS BEAUTIFULLY SITUATED ON SOUTH SHORE LOOKING OUT AT CORAL REEF & RECEIVING FULL SWEEP OF THE TRADES. "TARIFF" IS $3.50 A DAY - MEALS INCLUDED! THE SHIP SAILED LATE. FIJI POST OFFICE SENT MAIL TO SHIP 17 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTURE TIME & WE RE THE SHIP OFFICERS BURNED UP! WE RAN INTO A S.W. SWELL AND HAD MORE MOTION THAN ALL TRIP. HEAVY SQUALL CAME UP AND WE WERE PROPERLY WASHED DOWN. PASSED ANOTHER OF THE FIJI GROUP - A REAL BEAUTY - A HIGH, VEGETATION-COVERED TRUNCATED INVERTED V TABLE TOP MT. - SOME SIGNS OF HABITATION. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT OVER THE WHITE-CAPPED WATER. DR. LILLEY & I WAITED FOR A SUNSET TO DEVELOPE BUT THE SUN WENT DOWN IN A BANK OF DARK CLOUD. AFTER LUNCH I MADE-UP MY SMALL "FRUIT-PIGEON" - DID A FAIR JOB. SAVED SYRINX FOR DR. ZIMMER. NURSE GAVE ME SMALL BOTTLE AND ALCOHOL. WILL ROUGH OUT BODY FOR SKELETON & SEND WHOLE WORKS TO DR. MAYR VIA 3RD MATE - SAN FRANCISCO. DATE: FEB. 12, 1948 LAT. 16° 55' SOUTH TIME: 9:45 P.M. (ZONE 12 HR. 30) LONG. 179° 31' WEST LOCALITY: 21 MI. ESE OF TAVEUNI IS. (7 X 23 MI. IN EXTENT) 14 MI. WNW OF NAITAMBA IS. (2 X 2 MI. " ") (35 MI. FROM E. EDGE OF FIJI GROUP) ISLANDS: ROUGH, STEEP, HEAVILY WOODED, WILD, THINLY POPULATED BY NATIVES, VERY FEW WHITES. WEATHER (AT TIME & FOR LAST 3 HRS.): CLOUDY, MOD. E.S.E. FLY BREEZE (18 MPH), WARM, ATMOSPHERE CLEAR, GOOD VISIBILITY. BIRD WGT. 2½ OZ. ♂ MET DEATH: NOTICED FLYING IN HIGH RANGE, THEN FLEW INTO SUPERSTRUCTURE & DROPPED TO DECK DEAD. THE BIRD HAS WELL DEVELOPED PECTORAL MUSCLES - PROBABLY A EXCELLENT FLYER - PROB. NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS SPECIES TO FLY FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND. BUT ONE CAN NEVER TELL.