L.25, P.5 We now have about ten of the local men and boys in camp. They are beginning to hunt regularly for us. They appear a much more sophisticated lot than those we had to deal with at Lake Daviumbu; wear ramis and several speak quite a bit of Motuan. Besides this place contains a government rest house, and is regularly visited by government patrols. They also have dealings at times with the Dutch across the border at Merauke, either directly or by trade, for one of them is wearing a huge celluloid earring that certainly never came from this territory. They use bamboo bows and arrows. Temperatures range from 22 to 35 centigrade. This afternoon some six or eight more men arrived. Among them they brought four Isoodon. The people come from a place called Mata. To date we have had a short spell of showery weather with thunder storms between the 6th and the 9th. Since then the weather has been fair and very hot. The original lot of men (locals) came from Derideri. At five o'clock six women wearing long grass skirts and carrying bundles of appalling size upon their backs came into camp. They are the wives of some of the men who arrived earlier. Sat. Dec. 12. Last night shot a fruit bat out of the flock which proved to be of a different species than the usual type. Its forearm only 175 mm. This morning the trap yield was good: Two ringens, one brachyrhinus, one Melomys muscalis, another species of Melomys and Hydromys. The last two are new to the camp and both are rare. The fruit bat, I think, is the same as one shot by Archbold at Daru and is only the second of its kind collected. I had my four boys working overtime last night skinning five bandicoots by the light of the gasoline lantern (a fifth specimen was brought in just at dusk). Later in the morning we went out again after bats in hollow trees. Tried about five but got nothing for our work. Back in camp found two more bandicoots and two more flying phalangers caught by local people. Rand and Brass have been packing up in readiness for a two weeks trip tomorrow. They are going out about 12 miles to Mibene, a marshy place. I stay here to await the arrival of the government boat "Vailala", as I expect to return to Daru ahead of them. Sun. Dec. 15. Brass and Rand with their carriers got away at 6.30. It was delightfully cool in early morning after a slight night shower, but right now the heat is tremendous and I don't envy them their trip at this time of day. In traps a young Uromys with a few other things, making the fifteenth species collected at this station. Reorganized camp a bit. Had a radio table built and moved into the rest house where we have our main cache of stores. Cut a window in the bark wall on the west side to let a breeze flow through the house. Built additional water catchment place on the roof. When it fails to rain we have to send a mile for fresh water, the river being tidal and salt. Got in touch with Oroville. The Ronald S with Healy on board is on the way down the Fly River. Sent off a message for Daru to them to transmit, as my wet cell can no longer be charged from the generator and I expect it to go dead any time now. At Oroville they are having showery weather now. Sent Aia and Kanamoia across the river with the dinghy and instructions to get back at noon. They arrived only at 2.50, I meanwhile having visions of having to send out a search party for them. The worst of it was that no one had noticed just which way they had gone with the boat and we had nothing but a nasty leaky little canoe to go looking for them in.