Thursday 19 March 1953 (cont) pudding on cake with rum, cr. de m. & ginger beer. A wonderful evening until the o.p. rum started taking its toll. Guests left at 1:45 A.M.(G.TOOK ANOTHER SPILL AGAIN. LOOKS HIS NOSE & FOREHEAD AGAIN. LOOKS A WRECK TODAY BUT NOTHING BROKEN). Learning our boys' names: Jimmy--head boy--tall & with a dignity lacking in others; David--Ken's personal boy; Kimi--our cook (last 2 speak good English); Sigimutu--smiles, has big scar on chest; Niko--tall, a little surly; Lik Lik--ringworm on arm; Isilele--small boy; Losima, from Goodenough--all others from Ferguson. 2 more: Lobaf & ? 2 flying foxes near Miller's (copulating & squealing)--very broad straw yellow mantle, large. Beautiful starlight. Friday 20 March Up at 5 A.M. Dawn just breaking at 5:15. Breakfast of tomato juice. Out of house before "Dusty" woke up. "Small boy" carried my briefcase & tripod down to dock. Ken on hand but no sign of Len & Geoff. Walked up to Buntins to call them. Finally left wharf at 7 A.M. Blue sky day--air quiet, rather warm. Running north from Samarai for China Straits passage. Shores lined with coconut plantations. 8:15--opened up Milne Bay and set course for East Cape. Islands in all directions. Beautiful rain forest on ridges just in from coast. 11:00 A.M. Ken & I, Geoff & Len (sleeping) sitting in our canvas chairs under a tarpaulin on the forward hatch. Cool breeze. Still off Milne Bay. Through channel at East Cape & NW along coast. A mission station at Cape. Across the Sound we see Ferguson and Normanby Islands (both with mts over 3600'). A few dolphins at 3 P.M. White reef herons & large tern at East Cape. 8 Also 1/2 doz smaller terns. Set of current is against us & engine is not powerful--we are making poor time. Rain coming up late in day. Supper of rice with meat & sauce, Samarai baked bread & State brand apricot jam (tea of course). A few dim lights along shore, but no navigation lights. Raining and difficult to run except with compass. 2 or 3 look-outs on deck. Finally reached Cape Frere and village of Wedau at 1:00 A.M. Tiny wharf. Opened our cots on wharf. Beach lined with coconut palms. Too late to jack. Saturday 21 March (Native village--Wedaw) From Dogura to Menapi. Awake at 6:15. Dark cloud-covered hills looming up behind Mission station which is set up a hundred feet on old sea terrace; has a regular "cathedral" (church of England). Boys slept on shore in shelter. I moved my cot onto rear hatch at about 2:00 A.M. English wide cot very comfort- able--slept under 1 blanket. Boys on board at 7:00 and we are cutting across bay to Cape Vogel. Now passing green knife-ridge hills--slopes burned year after year--trees only in gullies. Up the coast the high coastal ranges are blue. Bucking NW wind--little chop. Tea and toast at 7:15. Kimi (cook boy) very conscientious. Goodenough and Ferguson loom dimly off to NE. Very broken overcast. At 8:45 brown Booby--entirely brown above, wh. under wing coverts, bill pale straw. Rain squall coming down coast. Called at Baniara (gov. station on the so-called Mosquito Islands). Picked up cadet patrol officer Skewes for the 1/2 hr run east along coast to native village and mission station Menapi. Our supplies went ashore not as planned by dinghy & by outrigger canoe. One load tipped canoe & we lost bag of sugar & some of Le n's newspapers were dampened. Boys carried me ashore so I wouldn't have to remove boots. Called on Father Chisholm at Mission. Visitor, Miss Kinear also there--they have ice box.Had tea & cake. Went jacking at night. 10 Mus. specials out near house. Flying squirrels in coconut trees. I shot one & Ken one. Village boys shot