L.10, S.10 Friday, Mar. 6. Tested out the new boy Gororo at finding trapline. He Scored 100. The catch was 2 Rattus brachyrhinus only, although we took another rail of a second species which Rand says is Rallus tricolor, and a skink. After I had measured and labeled the rats I gave one each to the boys to skin. They made quite good jobs of them and I had only a few criticismx to make. I don't expect to let them stuff the skins ever, merely to take them off for me. There was a big rent in the bat net this morning near the ground; probably a dog had run through it. The boys are repairing it now. Rand is breaking in two other boys to skinning birds. Last night we had a very enjoyable time at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Woodward. The night was close and hot, but after dinner we played poker, the five of us. Brass and Woodward had rather poor luck. It was penny ante. Am invited to go with Dr. Vernon and a visiting doctor from Thursday Island, Dr. Dowling out for the day in Vernon's boat across to the mainland and up the Oriomo River. It is a good opportunity to see the territory in which Archbold had one of his camps during the previous expedition. In the evening we all go to Vernon's for a general party. I understand that all Daru (white) is expected to be there. This afternoon sent the boys out reset about seventy of the traps. I went out myself and placed a bunch of tree traps on practically every trunk in a patch of woods on the mission trail which I found a couple of days ago. If Pogonomys is on the island I hope to get it. A tame hawk which we have had for about a week yesterday ate three lizards which had been pickled in methylated spirit. The poor thing when I saw it about 7 oclock was sitting with its eyes shut swaying from side to side. This morning we thought it dead, for it was lying on the ground motionless. Actually it had a most terrific alcoholic jag on. And this evening twelve hours later it began to move slightly. Rand put water in front of it but probably it could not see. Then he dipped its beak into the water and it tokk a drop or two. Amoment or two later it sort of fell forward head first and bagan to drink. Tonight it is still dazed but sitting on its feet and I believe it will get over the experience completely. We had fried curlew for supper tonight and very good indeed they were. Just afterwards a squall came up from the east, and it is coming down at this moment so heavily that I cant' hear even the click of my typewriter (we have a galvanized roof over this house.) A nice lot of butterflies were sent down by Sampson from the Mission. They appeared to be in quite good condition; I had had to refuse the first lot because they were so badly broken up. Saturday, Mar. 7. Torrential rain during most of the night. The trip to the Oriomo is cancelled and all this morning rain continued to fall. My tree traps failed to catch anything, but the boys brought in five R. brachyrhinus and one Melomys muscalis. Dr. Vernon Dr. Dowling and Beech arrived here and while we waited for the nin to stop they told tales of shark fishing and one thing and another. Am closing this up so that it can go back on the Aramea with them.