Sunday 3 May 1953 Menapi. Today saw the end of my specimen packing but not without incident. A noise in the drying shed at 5 A.M. woke Ken and he found a dog inside chewing on my 2 last cuscus skins. The heads & feet had been eaten leaving the body skins. Specimens were dry & covered with alum & arsenic--there is a sick or dead dog in Menapi tonight. Also ate the dry horn bill foot! Skins were hanging near roof & door was tied shut. These Papuan dogs are a hungry & persistent lot. Did not touch my small study skins of the last few collecting days. Made up 1 bat and the glider. 2 bats & 1 Mus. into formalin. Skulls all fitted into 2 ammo boxes, alcohols into 1 4-gal. can; and small skins into black box; large, knock-down box. All set except nailing tight. The "Jessie" came in a day early--late in P.M. We load tomorrow & sail early Tuesday. Mrs. Spiller invited us to dinner to welcome Bill Mason home. Norman Evennett, part owner and skipper of the "Jessie" and a friend, Chapman, were there also. Ginger beer! Jello & ice cream! Home at 9:30. Letter from Ailsa and Dusty to Geoff with a P.S. to me saying they are sending chocolate candy. Scraped all cuscus skins to remove oil. We gave our cook & helper a day off. Geoff fried eggs--our first in Menapi. Washed dishes--first time in 3 mos. Moon just up. Fresh breeze tonight. No jacking. Total mammals for this camp--479. Will carry bat and squirrel on to Baiawa with me. Ken has fallen in love with native Papuan girl. This country is his life. Monday 4 May Menapi. A day of rest for me--our last in Menapi. Ken up early to nail up my specimen boxes. They went on board the "Jessie" first. Len, Geoff, & Ken checked gear from storehouse to boat. (Wrote letters to Kay, Mother, Dory, Uncle Will, Miss Grobe, Mr. Goodwin, Dr. Mayr, Perry Wilson, Gary Harned). We have a big stack of mail going back to Bunting's in Samarai. Our interpreter arrived from Baniara. Wears a distinctive black open shirt margin ed with red & white; white cummerbund, broad leather belt & black shorts. Losima caught another small rat--my specimen for the day. After Kai we were invited to tea and an evening of music & dancing--at Mrs. Spiller's. She arranged for several of the village boys who play guitars & mandolins to come in to entertain us with New Guinea songs. Two men & two women did the dancing. The men wore grass skirts, too. After a while both songs & dancing became tire- some but the audience was fascinating. The only place for dancing here in Papua is on the beach under the moon. Every window & door had its quota of men, women, & children looking on. Some were inside on the stairs leading to 2nd floor-- all females in grass skirts. Some wear 6 or more skirts--the dress ones dyed in vertical stripes--green, red, purple--& often white pandanus strips. Skirts smell very fresh. Father Chisholm was there for a visit. He is well-liked by the people here (he is an Anglican--St. Stephens--London). We had delicious cake, tarts, tea, & ginger beer for me. Other villagers had started a drum dance which was still going strong when I first woke at 3 A.M. Quite an unusual evening. Tuesday. 5 May Menapi to Baiawa. Up at 3:45 A.M. Drums still going down in village. Rolled swags. Folded stretchers. Boys out early to carry gear to boat. Moon is high with halo. Villagers straggling by--a guitar or two playing. It is just 6:00 & the jagged blue outline of the central range is outlined against a pink morning sky. Little blue & white flycatcher (wagtail) is squeaking away. Boys coming down trail with their swags. "Jessie's" dory is loading our gear. 6:30--our last boys coming