Saturday 21 March 1953 (cont) 2 flying foxes & brought them to us. Saw squirrel glide from 1 tree to next. Knocked him down with .410 but he landed in brush & got away. Many flying foxes about. Sunday 22 March Score 6 Menapi. Nothing but small crabs in line of 10 Mus. specials. Skinned & made up 4 specimens & 2 pouch young: 2 Petaurus (& 2 young); 1 Dobsonia & 1 Pteropus. Arranged bed & gear. Boys put up work fly & Geoff & I moved our gear boxes out of Gov. rest house. Rest house is built on low stilts & frame work of logs. Roof is a palm thatch. Partitions are of split wood. House is only 20 yards from sea. No waves. Native toilets built out over water. We have an out house. Overcast in A.M. Clear in P.M. Short shower in A.M.-- ccaught thatch drip for drink. Some of our drinking water comes from Mission roof. One corner partition is bathroom--no shower. No luck shooting small bats tonight. Flying foxes going west along shore at 6:30 (deep dusk). We had fresh water fish for breakfast & curry & rice tonight. Wake up bell at Mission rang at 6 A.M. Our boys were sorted out today among us. I have David (Ken's personal boy)--speaks English--very keen; v Lik Lik-- skin infection on arms; Isilele-youngest boy--looks interested & likely. Ken brought home 2 bottles of warm ginger beer from store (trading house) for my dinner. We bought native bananas today--good. May get coconuts tomorrow. Boy brought in large (30") green lizard for Geoff. While at dinner a Gecko jumped in Len's hot coffee & killed himself--went into Geoff's can. Kimi-- our cook did my laundry today. He is a good cook, too. Specimen numbers start with 11651. Monday 23 March Score 1 Native brought in 1 Pteropus shot in village last night. Gave him 2 shells. Had skinning lesson with 3 boys looking on. Strung up 100 rat traps. All boys and myself out looking for likely trap sites in afternoon. David out with me. Set traps in limestone ridges 1/2 mile east of Menapi. Big boulders and many large trees--dark in woods. "Inferior Primary Forest"--L.J.B. Small bats out at dusk high over this forest--may roost in limestone crevices. Out jacking for 3 hrs last night. Many flying foxes about coconuts and bread- fruit. Waded thru plume grass (Saccharum--related to sugar cane) at least 10 feet high. Saw small mammal in fern-plastered tree. Could not shoot. No sign of possums. Stopped at Bill Mason's store for a beer & short visit. Showed me around stores-- staples, knives & ginger beer ! (He is going to keep some in the frig. for me ). He also showed me copra storage houses--one for loose and one for bagged. Copra is dried coconut meat. Best is hot-air dried, next smoked, last is sun-dried. 6000 nuts to make a ton. Sells for 65 £s a ton. Smells rather good--heavy & oily. Bag weighs 160-165 pounds. Much building activity in camp today--boys building tables. Very clever with vines for lashing & mid-rib section of sago palm. Thatch is made of leaves of sago palms. Sitting under shade at shore today with SE breeze & heavy shower came up. Len & Geoff out and were soaked. Overcast and gentle rain about 6-7. Tuesday 24 March Today has been rather eventful. Up at 6:00 A.M. to run line of traps--nothing. Not one animal taken in 100 rat traps. Sent boys out to look for small bats in