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Transcription
JULY
On July 2 Van Deusen and Tobrum visited Hoogland's "Top Camp"
and then climbed to the true summit of Mt. Rawlinson. Adzing, our guide
from Zengaren, absolutely refused to continue beyond a certain point
(possibly MacGowan's "tree summit"). Tobram and I pushed on through the
"mossy forest", which had a sprinkling of small but colorful rhododendrons,
until we reached a point when our altimeter read 7,450 feet ( m.).
The peak was tree covered and even though the day was fair and without
coulds (a rare event) we could not see any distance through the trees.
On the walk to the summit we entered a large glade in the forest (elevation
6,950 feet) which Adzing called "place bilong muruk". Many cassowary
droppings containing large fruit pits were concentrated AT this spot. We
left the summit at 2:30 P.M. (altimeter still reading 7,450 feet) and
arrived back at the Gang at 5:30 P.M.
On July 5 this highly successful camp was broken and carriers from
Zengaren and other villages carried our gear back to Zengaren #2, this time
by a different route than the original carry. We passed through a number
of new garden areas at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. On our July 2
climb we passed a small water hole at 6,500 feet; we were told that this
was the last water (highest) on this limestone mountain. After settling
in at the "house kiap" (every village has a house for visitors) one of our
hunter friends brought me a large male tree-climber. July 6 was spent at
Zengaren repacking our specimens and gear for the four day carry back to
Pindiu. That evening the village counselor, Gaytson, was our host in his
compound for a muruk feast set out on home-made tables. Vegetables from