RECEIVED WORD OF ARRIVAL OF "THE GOVERNMENT" (MR. GREANLEY) 4 OF THE AMERICANS - MAGIC WORD HERE! CARRIERS ARRIVED + OUR SUPPLIES STARTED COMING UP FROM THE "JESSIE". SORTING + STORING TOOK MOST OF MORNING. CUT A TRACK IN NEAREST SCRUB + PUT DOWN MY FIRST TRAP LINE. VERY DRY, DOESN'T LOOK TOO PROMISING. I SLEPT BICK AS ARE MOST OF THE BOYS, WITH SEVERE COLDS CAUGHT IN SAMARAI. LIK- LIK PUT OUT TRAP LINE IN GRASS. AL RAMSDEN, AN OLD ISLAND TRADER, ARRIVED IN HIS BOAT + CAME UP FOR DINNER. LIK LIK + I, KEN + NIWO WENT HUNTING. I SHOT A CUSCUS IN SCRUB ON HILLSIDE; DORSAL STRIPE, LIGHT WHITISH BROWN. KEN BROUGHT IN 2 FLYING SQUIRRELS + OUR FIRST BIG NYCTIMENE! (HANGING IN TREE). THESE CAME FROM BIG 2° SCRUB + GAR- DENS ALONG COAST ROAD TO NORTH. THE RUM STARTED FLOWING FREELY. KEN + I WENT TO BED EARLY. RAMSDEN PASSED OUT IN HIS CHAIR DUR- ING THE NIGHT, BUT LENT MR. GREANLEY WERE STILL TALKING AT DAWN! 267 (238) THUR. SEPT. 24 98 BOLU BOLU. TRAPS GAVE 3 RATTUS (2 SPECIES) - ALL IN GRASS. I HAD NONE IN MY RAINFOREST LINE. MY BOYS + I ARE BACK IN OUR USUAL ROUTINE. WE WILL MISS DAVID'S HUNTING. HOWEVER, KEN WAS OFFERED A LIFT UP THE COAST IN RAMSDEN'S BOAT. HE BOB GREANLEY + RAMSDEN LEFT SOON AFTER LUNCH. BOB IS GOING ON PATROL AROUND THE NORTH END OF ISLAND + I WILL THEN RE- TURN FROM W. TO E. BY CLIMBING OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND RIDGES. KEN IS GOING UP FROM EAST SIDE. THEY MAY MEET + DO A LITTLE EXPLORING TOGETHER. NIKO IS WITH KEN. HAVE SEEN VERY FEW SMALL BIRDS. MANY BLACK + WHITE TORRES STRAITS PIGEONS. LIK LIK + I HACKED THE SCRUB ON N. TRACK. SAW NOTHING EXCEPT FLYING FOXES + SHOT ONE WITH YELLOW NAPE + WHITISH "SPECTACLES". HEARD NYCTIMENE TWICE. MOON BRIGHT. 268 (239) FRI. SEPT. 25 97 BOLU BOLU. 6 SMALL GRASS RATTUS IN TRAPS. SHARP SHOWER AT 6 A.M. WE SEE RAINFOREST CLOUDS IN MOUNTAINS VERY FREQUENTLY BUT WE SELDOM HAVE RAIN HERE. WIND IS NEVER STEADY BUT COMES IN SHARP GUSTS. AL RAMSDEN ARRIVED BACK ABOUT TEA TIME. SENT UP A KING FISH FOR DINNER. WE INVITED HIM IN TO HELP EAT HIS FISH + WE SPENT A PLEASANT EVENING DISCUSSING THE PERSONALITIES + PROBLEMS OF THE TERRITORY. HE WAS FULL OF INFORMATION ABOUT WARTIME ACTIVITIES IN THE ISLANDS. A QUIET DAY UNTIL THE GRASS CUTTING CREW FROM DELI BELI SHOWED UP TO CUT DOWN THE RAMPANT KANGAROO GRASS. THEY SWARMED OVER THE PLACE LIKE