8th Month AUGUST 1959 31 Days FAIR + WARM, HAZE ON THE MTs. 3 MONDAY 215-150 GOROKA TO GOVT. STORES AT 8: A.M. MR. PRIMROSE ON HAND, AS CHEERFUL AS EVER. REPACKED OUR GEAR FOR CAMP ON MT. OTTO. PACKED BLACK BOX 4 + WOOD CASE WITH SKULLS + SKELETONS + FLAT SKINS. 2 KNOCKDOWN BOXES ALSO READY TO GO. TED HENTY ARRIVED ON EARLY PLANE. HE TOOK THE SPECIMENS WITH HIM TO FORESTRY AT LAE ON M.A.L. 3: P.M. FLIGHT. RUS SKINNED OUT THE DOBSONIA WE SHOT NEAR IAN DOWNES' HOME IN THE ASARO RIVER VALLEY YESTERDAY. DINNER AT THE SEALE'S - HEATHER + BILL. A DE- LIGHTFUL EVENING. DESERT - STRAWBERRIES THAT BILL RAISED! SAW KEN'S MT. WILHELM SLIDES - POOR, MET NIXON + IAN ROBERTSON, TERRY BROWN. FAIR + WARM. 4 TUESDAY 216-149 GOROKA TO SAWMILL, MT. OTTO. PLANE FROM PT. MORESBY IN AT 9:30 A.M. WITH PHIL SPALDING, SON PHIL, + BILL HOSMER (AUSTRALIAN HERPETOLOGIST - COLLECTING FOR S.-P. EXP.). HAD A PLEASANT 1/2 HOUR + THEN RUS + LIONEL FLEW ON WITH OTHERS FOR A WEEK IN WESTERN HIGHLANDS. MIKE COLLINS WILL TAKE RUS TO MT. HAGEN CAVES. WILL VISIT FRED SHAW MAYER. WE LEFT FOR MT.O. IN LAND ROVER AFTER LUNCH, STOPPED TO VISIT JIM LEAHY AT HIS FARM HOT DAY. REACHED SAWMILL WITHOUT TROUBLE - 11 MILES FROM GOROKA, ROUGH BUT COMFORTABLE QUARTERS. FRED LEAHY (22) RUNNING MILL FOR [illegible] FAIR, BUT HEAVY CLOUDS, 5 WEDNESDAY 217-148 MT. OTTO, COLLINS SAWMILL GAVE TOBRAM HIS FIRST SKINNING LESSON - YOUNG RING-TAIL THAT WE BOUGHT YESTERDAY. MY "LAB" IS THE FRONT OF THE LIVING ROOM AT THE COLLINS' HOUSE - VERY LIGHT AND CONVENIENT. 160 HAGENS + CHIMBUS WORKING AT MILL; MANY SKINKS + A FEW FROGS CAME IN TODAY. JOHN + I LIKLIK + TOBRAM SET 14 STEELS ALONG BIG CREEK; ALSO 40 MUS. SPEC. A BEAUTIFUL STREAM - BEFORE LOGGING; HUGE BOULDERS IN BED, DEEP POOLS. COLLINS HAVE PLANTED RAINBOW TROUT; TOE HAS CAUGHT A 4 POUNDER. JOHN + I WALKED UP CREEK TO START OF THE WATER RACE (1 MILE LONG) WHICH POWERS THE SAWS + ELECTRIC GENERATOR. THE COUNTRY IS STEEP, RUGGED + COVERED WITH BEAUTIFUL FOREST. NATIVE BROUGHT ME A MARSUPIAL RAT - PHASCOLOSOREX (2/otistich) ALSO BOUGHT AN ADULT & RING-TAIL (CUPREUS). SAW BATS. SHOT 0.