Friday 31 July 1953 Gwariu River Camp Jacking last night gave me 2 giant rats (Uromys). I was a short distance out on the Biniguni track & the rats were only a few feet off the trail hunting on the ground. David shot at a white Cuscus but it kept on going up the tree. Climbed for it this A.M. & found it in the same tree. Weighed 13½ lbs. Also had a large pouch young. Did not go out tonight. Wrote letters to K., Art Richmond, Alcide & the others in Prep. Corps, & Uncle Will. Sending out my last Maneau film. Saturday 1 August David jacked a new Cuscus last night--grayish-brown with a dorsal stripe. 2 very tiny pouch young. Much excitement this A.M. Women from various villages showed up with all kinds of vegetables. Ken did the buying--weighed each string bag full & paid off with salt & newspaper which they use for rolling cigarettes. Very photogenic crowd. Took at least a roll of film. Light not too good. Very happy people & it certainly helps to have a man who can talk their language. Some of the women were carrying young babies in their string bags. My boys were not too sharp on skinning today--had been chewing betel nut which is available in good supply here in Biniguni. Tonight just after dinner Tuasi & a friend showed up lugging a huge Python they had caught several hours walk from camp. Ken finally paid off with 5 shillings, package of 10 razor blades, 24 boxes of matches & an empty tobacco tin! We also hope that they will bring in some mammals. The head & tail of the snake were lashed to a pole. Geoff got his specimen into a bag & this is now in the river weighted down with stones. Rain tonight--did not go out. David out early. Shot a "flying squirrel". Sunday 2 August Lik Lik was the only successful trapper--2 Rattus & 1 Melomys. Ken brought the Python up from river--quite dead from his night in the water. We all had a guess at its length. My 13 feet was the closest (13'6" & wgt. 29½ lbs.). I helped Geoff skin it after we took pictures. I also went thru intestinal tract looking for mammal remains--found 2 toe nails & an ankle bone. Very likely a small Wallaby. After lunch Ken & David packed off to Biniguni to spend the night & wait for carriers. Hope he has good weather & carriers for the move to Baiawa. 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 pigeons for dinner--Kim fixes them in the pressure cooker. This A.M. while washing by the river I had an unexpected swim--my boot slipped on a rock & I did a slow motion roll into a pool of water--so I took a morning bath. Jacking tonight w ith Isilele. Saw one flying fox & shot a Rattus almost at my feet. Collected 2 frogs for Geoff. Isilele smelled a Cusccus but we could not find it. No luck with bat shooting before dinner. Saw a 4th kind tonight--high flyer. Monday 3 August Another poor trap night--only 3 Rattus. A beautiful morning for Ken. Len botanized around Biniguni this A.M. & looked in rest house. Only 3 unimportant double loads remained. About 35 carriers must have showed up. All my Maneau skins 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 Baiawa 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. Kim, Lik Lik & Isilele are cutting jacking trails in this scrub. Met an old man coming up river trail with string bag full of Okari nuts--he sold them to us for a few boxes of matches. This is the staple