L. 11, S. 3. This afternoon at 1.45 the "Kono" caught us all by surprise and came roaring in from the back of the island. She circled and described various S's before she came down in the channel. Wild excitement reigned among the natives of Daru and our "boys". All the population gathered along the shore to watch her come in. The wheels were let down and one of them stuck in a crack in the rock which had been concealed by mud. She had to stay there for a couple of hours while the tide ran out and left her. Rand, Brass and I were pushed out by boy in a canee, and a minute later Leyden Customs Officer pulled alongside. Archbold went ashore with him., Rogers and Yulestedt coming back with us. At low water a number of boys with Rogers and Archbold went out to the "Kono" and while Archbold started the engine Rogers had the boys heave up under the wingfloat of the side whose wheel had sunk, and the ship was free in less than a minute. She taxied steadily towards the new slipway, but once there the new ground though rockfilled proved to be rather soft in places and the wheels sank more than once. However the same procedure brought her safely ont@ the place prepared for her and turned around. I went down and took a number of pictures of the entire affair. There was much exchange of news: they had assembled and tested the boat in a week after reaching Brisbane. Brisbane was left behind three days ago, and Cairns this morning at 7.30, just ab ut six hours before reaching Daru. The Brisbane newspapers amd made the most of photographic opportunities offered when the ship was being assembled and we were shown a number of press photographs that had not actually been used in the papers as well as those which had. A considerable quantity of baggage as well as all the radio equipment was brought as cargo. In addition a new 100-gallon gasoline tank has been fitted in the middle cabin, so that now with a full load of gas the "Kono" can go 1200 miles without another fill-up. Thursday, Mar. 12, 1936. Last night very heavy rain between 9 and 11 o'clock. Clear again this morning. Traps produced the customary two Rattus brachyrrhinus. Went out with net to take insects other than butterflies which the children of the Mission have been bringing in considerable variety. Took. Such things as leaf-hoppers, grasshoppers, dragonflies, wasps, sawflies, beetles. Had a fairly successful m rning at it. The slipway for the plane has to be reinforced with stone. The "boys" were hard at work on it when I got back. Then Archbold wants to pipe water from Beech's well down to the slip so as to have water for washing the ship. Julestedt, although he worked Thursday Island and Port Moresby yesterday coming up, could not get through this morning with the other radio set. He and Rogers are working upon it this afternoon. The "boys" have an odd habit of bending very low as they pass us sitting at our table. It has been explained by the fact that in their own village none of them is allowed to have his head higher than that of the chief. And as we happened to be seated they had nearly to crawl to get by. Friday, Mar. 13. Only one Rattus today but plenty of work arrived in the form of a dugong which had been harpooned the night before by Kiwai fishermen. It has taken a good part of the day to take the skin off and make the animal into a skeleton. In the middle of the morning too a boy brought in a fruit bat of the genus Dobsonia. So all things together, I've had a busy daThe "Kono" is to fly to Port Moresby on Sunday, and will carry mail. So I'm going to get this letter on her. The envelopes(may even send more than one) willbe quite valuable so hang on to them.