214 (185) SUN. 2 AUG. 1953 151 River Camp. Len was the only successful trapper - 2 Rattus + 1 Mole. Ken brought the Python up from the river - quite dead from his night in the water. We all had guesses at its length. My 13 feet was the closest (13'6" + WGT: 29 1/2 lbs). I heard Geoff shoot it after we took pictures. I also went thru intestinal tract looking for mammal remains - found 2 toenails + an ankle bone. Very likely a small wallaby. After lunch Ken + Denis packed off to Biniguni to spend the night + wait for carriers. Hope it was good weather + carried forward for trip move to Balawa. Geoff took his boys down river to a big pool to try to net fish. Only a few prawns + small fish - this is where the natives spear eating fish. Ken sent us 3 pigging for dinner. Kim fixed them in the pitfire (cooker). This A.M. while washing by the river I had an unpredicted swim - my boat slipped on a rock + I did a slow motion roll into a pool of water - so I took a morning bath. Tacking tonight with Tim & Lilel. Saw one flying fox + shot a Rattus almost at my feet. Collected 2 frogs for Geoff. Isilele shelled huscus but we could not find it. No luck with bat shooting before dinner. Saw 4th Kind tonight - high flyer. 215 (186) MON. AUG. 3, 1953 150 River Camp. Another poor trap night - only 1 Rattus. A beautiful morn- ing for Ken. Len botanized around Biniguni this A.M. I looked in best house. Only 2 unimportant double loads remained. About 35 carriers must have showed up. All my Manga strings are in this carry. Light rain this P.M. But this is probably local. Ken should get all his loads to Moi Biri Bay + then by canoe to Balawa without wetting. Walked down stream this P.M. The south bank is a steep hillside cleared in many places for gardens. Deep gullies run down to the river + big scrub covers the hill above the garden patches. Tim, Lik Lik, + Isilele are cutting jackling trails in this scrub. Met an old man coming up river trail with string bag full of Okfiri nuts - he sold them to us for a few boxes of matches. This is the staple eat- ing nut in this part of New Guinea. About 7 inches long x 1/2 in. wide - ex- cellent white meat. Very good roasted. Tim + Lik Lik went jackling - shot at a cusens but it disappeared in the leaves. Wrote Mrs. Stockelbach + John Pallister 216 (187) TUES. AUG. 4 149 River Camp. This morning (about 3:15) Len woke me up + said a dog was howling.