Saturday 17 October, 1953 (cont) Top Camp -- Goodenough Island and newspaper. First evidence of Uromys on the island--a lower jaw. Have not had time to sort them out. All of these boys have green sticks thru the septum of the nose. They are a friendly and respectful people. Hunting is a very necessary part of their lives. Kim was out hunting for tree holes this P.M.; has one located which may produce mammals. A good jacking night. Shot my first cuscus and also had shots at what I believe to be Nyctemene and Macroglossus. Also collected a few frogs--2 of these were sitting in the water in the cut stems of bamboo. It took us a while to locate them. Dinner: tomato soup, fish rissoles, pumpkin, yam, stewed apricots. Rain has brought out 2 ft. earthworms. Our hunter brought in another o7cuscus--darker than first. Sunday 18 October 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 26) saying that Geoff had suffered a second stroke soon after we left. Improving 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 and 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 Wakonai to send up carriers. Monday 19 October Kim produced our 5th Rattus. Lik & Isilele brought in traps & we all slid down a mossy rock-strewn gully to stream below our camp. They put out 2 new trap lines (50) in hope of picking up Hydromys--or anything. Collected another of the warbler-like birds on the wanted list. Found an overhang of earth and 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 Dobsonia, 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 o 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. Tuesday 20 October The moon is almost full tonight & Losima & I had a pleasant walk along the east trail. Owls & night. ars. & all manner of frogs were calling. At one point on the track we heard fruit fall; L. scurried into the bush & located a o cuscus which I collected. Our hunter had a slow day, finding only 1 cuscus and 2 Dobsonia. The day's preparation work was very tedious; one of the bandicoots was so badly torn by the dog that it required over an hour of sewing. The o bandicoot and Dobsonia made up without trouble but I had to check over both wallaby skins again. Ken