Saturday 11 April 1953 (cont) Dancing stopped but eating and joking went on for hours. Ken really knows these people and how to get on with them. Quite different from the "old N. G. hand" treatment. Wind blowing hard today--few insects and few bats. Ken slept outside in his hammock. No bats. No jacking. Rain spoiled trap baits. Sunday 12 April Menapi. 2 rats in Lik Lik's trap line. Total for day. Reset grass line. (73) David and I worked on specimens in A.M. Made up last of large Dobsonia from bat cave. Lik Lik and Isilele went west to river--report large swamp but good possible trapping upstream. Len, Geoff and Ken left after breakfast to walk to Baniara (gov. station--2 hrs walk)--social call and sounding out about possible help to the mountain phase of trip. Ken tells me they clammed up as far as official aid concerned. However, they are juniors and District officer Healy has promised us any aid requested. Ken thinks, too, that Tony O'Sullivan is crook because he made the ascent of Mt. Dayman first. Bill Mason came over about noon and invited me down for Sunday dinner at Mrs. Spiller's home. Small pancakes & honey, meat rolls, ginger beer and tea with cupcakes. Very heavy rain caught me after dinner and I listened to news and read So Pac. Monthly--a most interesting journal with lots of shipping news--all sorts of interesting island trips. Not expensive but you need time. An article about the men we met on plane to Pt. Moresby. From Land Resources & Regional Survey Section of C.S.I.R.O. Taylor, Hoogland & Patterson. Hoogland to visit us here soon. Worked in P.M. changed formalin on all bats. Mrs. Spiller sent home some cake for us. Boys tried to spear small shark--first I've seen. Drowned 2 big Goanas for Geoff. Ants swarming. Filled 2 bottles. Party back after dark--soaked and panting for rum. Monday 13 April Nothing in traps. Rained most of night. Rats squeaking in the thatch early A.M. Runner in from Baniara in P.M. with mail (2 letters from Mother Mar(24 & 31); 1 from Dory; Carlos Lehman; & Avice Dickinson in N. Z. ). Rained in A.M. so checked skulls and worked on Ken's mountain Possum. Ken walked down to Baniara to check again on Gov. aid in getting carriers. All o.k. Also gun permits for boys. Set traps around Rest House. David and I went out at 3 P.M. to look in limestone ridge for bat hangouts--found nothing except rough walking, a Gecko and a wild giant sweet pea--wonderful fragrance. Shot one bat front of Rest House. Spent a couple of hours jacking around the coconut plantation. A few flying foxes about but did not see any. Dinner: pea soup, beef rissoles, mashed potatoes, squash, fried cooking banana, compote of fresh fruit, cake with rum and milk sauce. Not starving! "Ruru" may go to Goodenough Is. this week. Will drop Geoff, Ken and me at Dabora for another visit to bat caves. Girls wear several grass skirts--when it rains they hoist 1 or more up over shoulders. We are starting to plan our move up Mt. Maneao. No carrier load can be over 40 lbs. Top camp first for one month. Only essential equipment can go. Boys were drumming again tonight. Last one in bed, so it is my job to take off the "bug jar" from underneath the Coleman kerosene lamp. All news from home good!