Monday 7 September 1953 (cont) Peria River to Baiawa. "jetty" just before 5:00 P.M. Our swags & working gear went up to the rest house on the hill where we sit and look out over the bay to Cape Nelson & the orange sunsets & south to Maneau. Sleeping in my own cot again tonight. Len & Geoff opened their last bottle of rum and got out a few packs of Lucky Strikes they found in the Army ration kits. Ken and David are out hunting Wallaby tonight. Capt. Smith is due on the 10th. Tuesday 8 September 1 Baiawa Ken shot a Wallaby last night. Gave it to the boys to roast whole over the coals-- they put it in skin and all. Saved the skull for me. Spent most of the day going over my gear, sorting out, & re-packing. We will have to have a real shake down of our gear when we reach Samarai. Isilele and I went out hunting for wallaby tonight on the grassy hills above the rest house. We heard a number thumping their tails (?) on the ground but we saw none in the high grass. Droppings everywhere. Many acres had been burned off and a good crop of new grass was up. We then jacked in the scrub; flying foxes feeding but we could see none. Finally, came to stream from which boys were getting our water. As I stood there a bat flew into my light beam not 5 feet away. Fired my .410 from the hip & then a 12 gauge #6 which brought her down. It was my old friend Nyctimene--the first collected on the trip, and on my last collecting night! Luckilly the shot hit the rear end & the right wing. Skull perfect & skin made up well. My collecting luck has been out of this world. Ken shot another wallaby tonight. He and David had quite a chase but they finally caught her up. Village policeman brought up a few partial skulls of wallabies. Wednesday 9 September Made up bat and boys skinned out the Q wallaby. Had 2 pouch young when shot but one fell out while David was carrying her home. Picked up the sound of the "Cape Vogel" at least 1/2 hour before anyone else heard her (including Ken). Came up to anchor about 2:30 P.M. Ken had all cargo ready for loading--finished by dinner. Capt. Smith, who has a trading station "Koonwarra" on the tip of Cape Vogel, came up for dinner. Our boys put on a dance in the village. I went to sleep to the sound of drums. Policeman gave me more skulls which resulted from a village hunt today. Took pictures of hunters. Thursday 10 September Baiawa thru Collingwood Bay, past Cape Vogel into Goodenough Bay Up before dawn & off to an early start soon after daybreak. Fine weather but the S.E. hit us as we rounded the Cape. Called in at Capt. Smith's place. Good anchorage. Building a new go down (warehouse & store). Has cotton, sisal, coconuts, paw paws & rosellas. Making a very fine place. Weighed myself on copra scale--185 with all clothes. Sailed about 4:00 P.M. We will run all night across the bay. Eggs for breakfast! Fish steaks for lunch. Friday 11 September On board the "Cape Vogel" (Capt. William Smith). After a long night of cat-naps in one of our canvas chairs & a few breaks from the cabin to deck for fresh air, we were coming up on East Cape about 6:00 A.M. Trip across mouth of Milne Bay and down thru China Straits took another 5 hours. In the straits we were bucking a 4 or 5 knot tide flow (actually hits 7 knots some times). Ailsa and Russ Webster down to greet us--also the now familiar smell of dried copra. Ailsa took me up to "Dusty" Miller's house for lunch and luck ! for the duration of my stay in Samarai. Real Australian lettuce for lunch. By the