Tuesday 5 May 1953 (cont) off now--singing. They all stand or sit on the gunwales of the dory. 6:45 Departed. Maneao clear on horizon. We have to round Cape Vogel today and run up to the head of Collingwood Bay. Goodenough Is. looming 9000 ft. straight out of the sea. Changed course to round Cape at 8:30. We have 2 sails set to help our 6 knot engine along. Now in Ward Hunt Strait. 9:00 A.M. Tea and sandwiches and cake which Molly sent down this morning. Everyone is sprawled out on the decks catching up on sleep. From noon to one we dodged in and out of reefs and sandbanks about mile or two off shore. Waters poorly charted. One man up the mast as look-out. About 30 on board. Maneao and Goropu are looming up ahead. We get to Baiawa about 4:30. Change of plan. We are picking our way in thru the reef to village of Medino. . Arrived at 3:30. Anchored off mouth of small river. Went ashore for a walk. Later after dinner on the boat I went ashore jacking with Isilele and Lik Lik. I shot the largest bandicoot I've ever seen. We had to trail him for short distance in grass. Spotted the red eyes of a crocodile at entrance of river. Ken shot him from close up with #6 but he dived under dinghy. Slept on board. Very cool & comfortable. Put my cot on the hatch. Wednesday 6 May-Baiawa. at NW base of Cape Vogel Peninsula. Wed. A.M. Skinned Bandicoot. Coming into Baiawa 9:30. This is a seldom visited coast. (Dont Look FOR MAIL FOR QUITE A WHILE. WE don't Know when we CAN send it out by RUNNER) Left Medino at 7:30 A.M.--felt our way out thru reef again without mishap. Arrived off Baiawa after another session with reefs. No sea or swell running. Good sun to pick out water colors. Village has an opening cut thru mangroves so they can canoe in and out. Also a 100 yard jetty (home made and narrow-- bound together with vines). We held our breaths when boys loaded the outriggers with our heavy gear--tip easily. They had trouble locating my 2 coll. boxes in hold before we left Medino. Found them and I skinned out big Bandicoot. Very fat and a lot of skin muscle. Trimmed him & poisoned. Finished making him up in P.M. before audience of carriers. The rest house is up on a knob of a hill about 100 ft. above village. Reserve gear to be stored here in rest house. Rain came soon after 5 P.M.--rained heavily during dinner. Still raining at 9:00. No jacking for Wallaby tonight. Ken has been having carrier trouble all day. They receive tobacco which they trade for Betel nut. The nut is available at Biniguni--our inland base. We have carriers for 35 loads--3 villages represented. Hope it clears tomorrow. Ken will leave for Biniguni with first loads. I am becoming very helicopter- minded. Then we wouldn't have to depend on small boats, carriers, etc. We could visit many in between places. One of our last nights on cots. Will not carry inland. Thursday 7 May Baiawa. Good sleep. No traps to run. Len and Ken off early to "Jessie" to check off cargo for first carry to Biniguni. Carriers all in line again today. Eliminated a few more items from personal gear to go up mountain. Chapman and Evennett came in with Len for breakfast and to say good-bye. "Jessie" will make Menapi tonight--we hope without mishap on the coral reefs. We all checked our loads to go thru to Biniguni with us. Will need 26 carriers. Jimmy came back from Kwagira with note from Ken. Staying at K, tonight--to Biniguni tomorrow. Looks as if we will have a couple of days more here in Baiawa. Geoff, Len & I walked out on the hilly east coast trail in P.M. (I was also out there before breakfast). Wallaby tracks & droppings. Runways all thru grass-