Wednesday 22 April 1953 Mother's birthday. Menapi. Nothing in traps except a Bandicoot in my grass line. Boys skinned 2 foxes and cuscus. Visited my trap line again tonight & had another Bandicoot! SE blew most of day but some light rain coming off bay tonight. Ken and David were to have gone off for the night to tall rain forest several miles back (N) from coast, but David refused to go & since the native is never right if he disobeys an order out here in N. G. (no matter what his reasons may be), he was paid off. Len refused, of course, to hire him (he is Ken's personal boy). If he wants to continue working for us, he must make up with Ken. Thus the white man saves face. He has been working hard and faithfully & with initiative for me. We were blending into a good team. Ken is very fond of him--they have been together 5 years--so I hope that matters work out. Possibly his being #1 boy in the team went to his head. He has been reluctant to pitch in on extra camp work on occasion. Ken took Jimmy with him, 30 traps & a shotgun & jack-light. Hope they have luck. Boys singing for all they're worth tonight--sound happy. More Army rations tonight: noodles & meat balls with gravy; hash & lima beans; jam; cocoa; pears; applesauce; pineapple. The meats are never to the British taste; they would rather have corned beef out of cans! They really like it. You simply can't change a person's food tastes. The boys can't live without boiled rice. No jacking. Early to bed after a hot bath. Thursday 23 April Menapi. My Bandicoot was the only specimen today. The best news is the fact that David is back in the fold. He and Ken are on the old friendly terms again. Both of them plus Jimmy went back to the big scrub today jacking. Just home (10 PM.) with 1 Glider & they tell me a cuscus is hung up in a tree (will get it tomorrow); also a [illegible] 1. jaw of a large Bandicoot (pick-up). Threatened rain in late P.M. but night turned clear with quarter moon. Made up skin & brought out 50 skins on boards to dry. Unpinned a few. Repacked all my gear for top, middle and lower camps. 2 top camp boxes weigh 70 lbs each. Started wrapping dried specimens in pages of the Sat. Eve. Post. Nap before dinner. Inspected traps after dark. Isilele came in this P.M. with 11 small bats. He had raided the same small hole in coconut tree where they found bats previously. Can hear small bats flying outside. Maybe I'll have a go at them. Surf breaking far out at reef edge tonight--low tide. Friday 24 April Lik Lik & Isilele set out 50 more grass traps. Menapi. The village dancers returned Ken's feast of a week or so ago. Tonight they gathered in front of our rest house and sang and danced for at least 2 hrs. All dressed up in feathers, flowers & grass plumes. Wore tapa "cloth"(bark) loin strips. Dances tell stories. The end came when Ken made a speech in their language thanking them for their kindness. A spokesman responded. This has been a friendly people & village. The "Betty Ann" showed up unexpectedly this A.M. Sent David down to find out about their sailing time--2 P.M. Finished work & wrote notes to Kay & Mother. No boxes ready for Samarai so we will have to ship by next boat. The series of Scoteinus was very interesting-- embryos of all sizes & 2 young born recently. Ken hiked to Abuaro in P.M. & he & Jimmy jacked back. They brought in a young male cuscus of the large white species. David and Isilele were out beyond Banapa--1 Petaurus. Sigimotu & I went to gully in back of camp. Shot a Dobsonia in flight with dust. S. found a small snake--took back to Geoff. Packed rodents in pages from Sat. Eve. Post Have 1/2 box now. Found a good bat flyway back of camp at edge of forest. Did not get any--can't see them soon enough. Dennis came along in P.M. & taught me a few more words. Analyzed my records to date (have also added Apr. 25)--