Monday 31 August 1953 (cont) Peria River Camp hunting. Pigeon stew for dinner. We are running out of tinned tobacco & Ken has already started on trade tobacco. I ran out of candy long ago! Tuesday 1 September 244 l Melomys in traps. Just as well because we had a long morning preparing bandicoots . Ken skinned the Uromys and then tried his hand at filling in the P.M. He needed a little rescue work but he did very well for a first skin. Wrapped a few more skins--will have a box for the Thurs. semi-final carry. Geoff finally reached his river--about due N. of the Gwariu River gorge on the Maneau Range. David shot a pigeon (gaura) which we had for dinner--lots of white breast meat. Bat shooting tonight but my reflexes were too slow. Heard scolding of Dactylopsila tonight but Ken and I could not locate him in tree. Bobby brought in an owl. I may work on this if I have only a few mammals. Each ♀ bandicoot had 2 pouch young. David & Tommy brought in traps today. Specimen count-- 1580. Wednesday 2 September 245 Made up the owl which Bobby brought home from jacking last night--my first owl since 1945. Went fairly well. In stomach I found the complete, undamaged head of a Matus. It cleaned up perfectly ! Kim had 3 Rattus in traps (also a large Goana) for our only mammals of the day. We cut the Dactylopsila tree & found a hole lined with fresh leaves, but no animals except 2 five inch grubs. Ken made up a couple of rats today--he is improving. Wrapped more skins today and packed a black box full; may have yet another box by next Monday. Ken leaves tomorrow for Baiawa with a few loads from here & Baiawa carriers will come up to Kwagira for loads left in rest house several days ago. Jacking tonight: Ken shot a Dobsonia; I missed a small rat (Melomys?); we are waiting for LikLik to come in--we heard him fire 2 shots. Fish & pigeon for dinner (the fish were only 3" long--1 apiece !) David and Tommy went to Baiawa today. Will await us there. Geoff is sitting here in the fly starting to read his detective stories over for the second time. He is hard up for civilization! Boys were drumming a Menapi dance tonight. Thursday 3 September 246 2:30 P.M. and for the first time in weeks I have nothing to do. A blue sky day with a cooling breeze. It is spring here in the rain forest. Many trees are leafing out; not that they were leafless--they lose a few at a time. Butterflies are everywhere. The Birds-of-Paradise are quiet for a little while. It's just like an early Sept. day on the farm. Even the crickets are calling. Ken's carriers showed up early & my specimens and last ammo box disappeared down the trail to the coast via Kwagira. Made up Dobsonia. Nothing in traps. LikLik was not successful last night. Len collected his last big batch of plants--he is having a hard time finding much that is new. We have spent too much time here but carrier transport & our load of equipment ties us down. Kim found an old carrier hallow tree with possum scratches. We cut it down & smoked it, but no cuscus. Carriers back at 4 P.M. Note from Ken saying carry went well. At noon he was at Moi Biri waiting for tide to rise so canoes with gear could get out of the river into bay. 9:30 Just brought home the most beautiful Carpet snake I have ever seen. 10' 2" long. Found no mammals. LikLik jumped a wallaby. Brought home snake, too. Friday 4 September 247 l Melomys in LikLik's line gave us our only specimen for the day. Up at 5:30 A.M. to shoot bats but they all clung too close to trees. Isilele & I went out to look for tree bats but found none. Sunny morning but overcast now. This is the end of our 3rd week in this camp. It will be good to see the coast again even