DOBSONIA + HEARD NYRTIMENE. FIXED UP 16 CARRIER LOADS FOR WAKONAI. CARRIERS ARRIVED ABOUT MIDDLE OF A.M. + HAD A FEED OF RICE, THEN WITH 5 STICKS EACH + SOME NEWSPAPER THEY WERE OFF, KIM WITH THEM TO STACK + COVER IN REST HOUSE. I SHALL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE NEWSPAPER BEING THROWN AWAY WITHOUT THINKING OF THE PAPER HUNGRY PAPUANS. MADE UP BATS, UNPINNED SPECIMENS - GOOD DRYING DAY - + TOOK OFF BIRD SKIN COTTON. SOME OF THEM ARE NOT TOO BAD - MY FIRST FIELD SKINS. POOR BAT SHOOTING TONIGHT BUT I DID FIND A CUSCUS "OUT ON A LIMP" NEAR CAMP. WE PACK UP TOMORROW. WORD FROM KEN SHOULD REACH US ON SATURDAY. HE SHOULD HAVE REACHED MAPAMOIWA + RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH SAMARAI TODAY. LOSIMA IS FIRST COOK TO- DAY - HE MADE A GOOD MEAT + POTATO PIE FOR DINNER. 303 (274) FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 1953 62 #2. CAMP. WE RECEIVED A NOTE BY RUNNER FROM KEN TODAY SAYING THAT: HE HAS BEEN IN RADIO CONTACT WITH SAMARAI; GEOFF IS IMPROVING; HE WILL BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL BY AIR; DUSTY HAS BOOKED US SOUTH ON THURSDAY, NOV. 12; THE "JESSIE" IS ON HER WAY TO NORMANBY + WILL BE SENT ON TO PICK US UP AT BOLU BOLU EARLY NEXT WEEK. CABLES HAVE GONE TO U.S. FROM LEN ADVISING THAT WE ARE TERMINATING EXPEDITION. KEN'S TRIP TO MAPAMOIWA WAS UNEVENTFUL. TRAPS CAME IN TODAY - OUR MELOMYS REMAINS A UNIQUE SPECIMEN. SPENT DAY PACKING OUR GEAR; WE ARE READY FOR THE EARLY ARRIVAL TOMORROW OF CARRIERS. A FEW DROPS OF RAIN - OUR FIRST IN THIS CAMP. LEN WILL BOTANIZE ON THE WAY DOWN TO WAKONAI TOMORROW + I MAY HAVE A DAY OR TWO TO PICK UP LAST MINUTE SPECIMENS FROM THE VILLAGE. WE ARE SORRY TO MISS OUR COLLECTING ON NORMANBY BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THE FUTURE. I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THE EXPEDITION IS OVER. THIS IS THE END OF OUR 32 ND WEEK IN THE FIELD. WROTE LONG LETTER TO DR. + MRS. LORD, 304 (275) SAT. OCT. 31 61 #1 CAMP TO WAKONAI (REST HOUSE). UP EARLY TO BREAK CAMP + READY LOADS FOR CARRIERS. SUNNY DAY AS IS OUR USUAL LUCK. CARRIERS ON SCHEDULE + WE LEFT CAMP AT 8:15. LEN BOTANIZED ON WAY DOWN. I CAME ON AHEAD WITH WAKONAI COUNCILLOR, JACK. FROM THE BURNED OVER GRASS SPUR (890 M) WE CAME DOWN THE FIRST 400 M IN A HURRY - SLIPPERY ROCKS. TRICK CROSSED THE UTAMODI RIVER AT A PLACE OF TUMBLING CAS- CADES - A LOVELY STREAM. JACK HAS A GARDEN HOUSE ON A 430 M GRASS SPUR WITH A VIEW OF FERGUSSON IS. + NUVATUTU POINT. REST HOUSE AT 150 M. TOOK MANY PICTURES ON WAY DOWN. PAID CARRIERS OFF.