L. 13, P. 2 most part, with one big patch of rain forest about a mile away to the sw. Due west there is a big clump of coconuts and another clump of trees surrounding a sink hole in the limestone which is reputed to underly the entire region. The place is supposed to teem with wallabies, and to some extent it does. That night I put them up in all directions, but the moonlight made it hard to see th[illegible] eyes and I shot only two. We made ourselves very comfortable there, and I set out some fifty traps, , my two original boys, Aia and Gororo, being with us. The climate is delightful, a pleasant cool breeze blowing through the day, and the nights, almost cold. No sandflies and next to no mosquitos. Friday, Apr. 3. I was disappointed that the traps brought nothing in. However we skinned the two biggest wallabies (they weigh about 70 lbs. I judge.) And a man brought me a big fruit bat. Archbold had worked the place pretty thoroughly a few years before for nearly a month, so I was there chiefly to acquaint myself with the lay-out of the place, although of course I wanted what mammals I could get during our short stay. Natives brought in baskets of bananas (green), taro, papaiya and sweet potatoes. which we appreciated very much. They cost a few sticks of tobacco only. Saturday, Apr. 4. Packed up and left about 9 o'clock. It had rained all night. In the traps a young Uromys. Again I walked ahead. Rogers had taken out the motor generator the day before, so we had only about the same load to take back as we had brought in with us. Weather cloudy and cool. We reached Wuboi without incident and piled on board the Veri-veri, and cast off just about at flood tide, which was almost perfect for getting us downriver by sunset. Crossed to Daru, getting ashore about 7.30 in the evening. The story of the Oriomo Oil Co. is interesting. McKlean manager is said to have heard of oil indications up the river. Hydrogen sulphide emanations (which actually exist) and an oily film on the river (probably imaginary). Any how a company was put together and stock sold like peanuts at Coney Island. Boat after boat of stores and provisions, surveyors, drillers and whatnot were shipped in. Several drills started at once, and when they got down two thousand feet a barrel of oil was dumped down one of the casings unbeknown to McKlean. Large stockholders, and other interested parties were assembled and when the other drills got near the 2000 foot stratum everybody stood by to watch for the expected gusher... Instead the drills hit granite a few feet lower down. and so ended the Oriomo venture. It is written in the periodical 'Oil', copies of which we found about that 20,000 wallabies were shot by hunting boys to supply the needs of the laborers at the scene of operations, over a period of about three years. Sunday, Apr. 5. Nothing much to relate. A rather wild party got under way in the evening, entirely unpremeditated, rather the way storms develop out of nothing. Monday Par. 6. Bad news. Some doubt has been thrown by Rogers on the quality of the gasoline supplied by Vacuum Oil for the plane. We wiressed them at Melbourne last night to give formula and explain means of testing for lead content. Went around and had a chat with Dr. Vernon. He told me that while driving with Beach in the Oriomo truck (of former days) along the trail we walked in along last week, a big wallaby jumped right onto him in the truck and practically knocked the wind out of him. Storm from the northwest during the night.