WED. 13 MAY 1953 KWAGIRA TO BINIGUNI. UP AT 5 A.M. QUICK BREAKFAST + CARRIERS PICKED UP LOADS AT 6:15. CROSS CREEK JUST OUTSIDE OF TOWN, GEOFF & I TOOK BOOTS OFF AND WADED, BUTT LEN WAS LIGHT ENOUGH TO BE CARRIED! LEFT AT 6:30. KEN & I ARRIVED AT BINIGUNI AT 9:30 A.M. WE FORDED SEVERAL SWIFT MOUNTAIN STREAMS- LOVELY GREEN WATER. WENT IN NEARLY TO MY HIPS ONCE, GLAD MY WRISTWATCH IS WATER PROOF. THE TRAIL TUNNELED THRU RAIN FOREST. MY IMPRESSIONS WERE A BLURR OF HUGE BUTTRESSED TREES, FERNS + PALMS + UNKNOWN BIRD SONGS. TRACT STILL MUDDY FROM RAINS OF LAST WEEK. OLD MAN AT K. GAVE ME 4 SMALL RATS - JUST BEFORE I LEFT. PUT THEM IN FORMALIN AS SOON AS I REACHED B. AT B. WE ARE CLOSE IN TO THE WESTERN SPUR OF MANEAU. RIDGE CUT BY HUGE GORGE - VISIBLE FROM B. SLOPES ARE COVERED WITH THICK RAIN FOREST. PASSED THRU 2 SMALL VILLAGES LATE IN WALK. MUCH BETEL NUT. THERE WAS A BIG CONFERENCE IN FRONT OF REST HOUSE SOON AFTER WE ARRIVED, HEAD MEN & POLICEMEN FROM ALL NEIGHBORING TOWNS. IT WAS TRYING TO GET ENOUGH CARRIERS TO MAKE CLIMB UP MANEAU. LONG TALK ABOUT TERMS + NUMBER OF MEN. IT THEN PAID OFF KWAGIRA MEN & THEY LEFT IN P.M. SPENT P.M. GETTING GEAR SEGREGATED FOR LEN & GEOFF WHO START UP TOMORROW WITH 8 CARRIERS. TEN & I FOLLOW ON FRIDAY WITH MAIN LOT OF GEAR. WE SHOULD ARRIVE AT TOP CAMP SAT. P.M. WE HAD A GOOD FEED OF CRESTED PIGEON OR GUARA TONIGHT - GOOD SOUP FIRST THEN FINE TASTING WHITE MEAT. NO GOOD WATER - ONLY TEA & COFFEE. I AM DYING FOR SOME GOOD MT. WATER. FAIR + ALL QUIET TONIGHT. TOOK A WALK IN P.M. TO BATH PLACE - SPOUT OF WATER OUT OF HILLSIDE. SO HOT WHEN I RETURNED THAT I TOOK HOT BATH. TONIGHT IS COOL. WE ARE SLEEPING ON FLOOR. TO BED 9:1 P.M.