#53 291 (262) Sun. Oct. 18, 1953 74 Top Camp. Runner arrived with our first island mail. Card from Rus Peterson (N.H. Sept.14); Mother (Sept.10). Also a note from "Dusty" Miller in Samarai (Sept.36) saying that Geoff had suffered a second stroke soon after we left. I'm- proving as of date; may fly him home. Will have good care in hospital for several weeks. Am sending letters off tomorrow by runner to coast (Kay, Mother, Miriam Conn, Uncle Will + Dr. Anthony). Made up our skins + put skull labels on all of the skulls + mandibles that the natives traded to me. Nothing new besides the rodent turned up. Small boy brought us a wallaby + a cuscus skull this A.M. They know I want complete skulls now. Each one is worth a double sheet of newspaper! Also bought a few sweet potatoes + coconuts. Hunter stayed home for a spell today. Nothing in traps. Boys cutting more track for jacking. No bats at dusk tonight. Kim made delicious dumplings + banana fritters for dinner. Sunny most of day - few showers tonight. Note from Ken; reached Bolu Bolu yesterday + will wait for our return runner before leaving for Wainawai to send up carriers. 292 (263) Mon. Oct. 19 73 Top Camp. Kim produced our 5th Rattus. Len + Isiele brought in traps + we all slid down a mossy rock strewn gulley to stream below our camp. They put out 2 new trap lines (50) in hope of pick- ing up Hydromys - or anything. Collected another of the warbler- like birds on the wanted list. Found an overhang of earth + rocks + roots which swallows are using as a building site. 2 eggs in one nest. Begonias rampant along stream banks, lush vegetation. Our hunter with aid of another boy + dog brought in 2 wallaby, 2 Bob- sonia, 2 Bandicoot (1 with 2 tiny pouch young) + 1 cuscus at 3 P.M. I measured the marsupials + my boys skinned out the wallabies before the early dark (raining again) closed down. Dog ripped a front leg off one wallaby + chewed up the 2 bandicoot a bit. However, all skulls except one are intact. We will have a busy morning for a change. The flying foxes came from a hole in a tree. Runner off early with mail. Len is drying a few begonias for me; I plan to send the pressed flowers to Harold Rugg + Dr. Lord. Len collected first lizard for this camp. In tree that boys felled.