L. 25. P. 20 drawn by half a dozen people wading came out and my bed and cooking gear with two boys were loaded into it (and I too). Ashore I found a celebration going on in honor of the return of the pearling crews from the pearling fleet at Thursday Island. The men danced and sang while the women stood around looking on and holding palm leaf flares to light up the scene. Kousa the medical boy who left me at Buji to walk to Mabaduane was in the thick of it. He said he arrived Sunday afternoon, and wants to take his box of tricks and cure a few people at this village before coming on to Daru. As far as I'm concerned he may, but I believe he has orders to return with me just the same. Probably the festivities are the attraction. The island between here and Saibai appears to be limestone; west and SW of it there are two lots of rocks that probably mean the remains of two other limestone islands; right under us now and within a couple of hundred yards of the granite the sea bottom appears to be limestone. Wed. Jan. 5. Up before dawn and had coffee to the tune of several millions of mosquitos, the latter having roused the boys in their house even earlier. I stayed in the government resthouse which Brass and I occupied early last year. Packed up and got on board as quickly as possible. Have to wait a while for the tide to rise. A mild west wind blowing which would make tacking necessary. However before tide had risen a heavy rain and wind storm came down from the west. Too strong to risk the old sails of the canoe in. When the storm had nearly ended and tide reached high (about noon), we got away, actually leaving at 12.30. The west wind had softened to a nice breeze which the tide hurried us along finely. But by two we were once more becalmed , but we still had the tide which runs east at about a mile and hour. Just about stopped off the Binaturi River until 6.30 when a fine wind from SW sprang up and we ran up to within sight of Daru. There the tide turned once more and the wind died away. So I got out my cot and turned in. At 2.30 a.m. actually we anchored off the dock to wait till morning. Thur. Jan. 6. I learn from Beach that the "Royal Endeavour" is expected in today, and will sail again tomorrow. So I'll have to make speed with repacking, etc. to catch her, but the chance of getting speedily to Moresby is not to be missed. Went out to dinner at Doctor Vernon's. Played "Pontoon" afterwards. Fri. Jan. 7. Put final touches on packing and sent the cargo and boys down the wharf to go on board early. Went around saying bye-bye to everybody. The "Royal Endeavour" finally got away at about 1.15 p.m. We call at a number of the gulf ports and first of all go into the Fly River once more to Mibu and possibly to Madiri to load copra. We anchored for the night some ten miles off Parama Island in four fathoms of a water and sufficient chop to make me retire to bed without supper. Sat. Jan. 8. Away at 6.30 and up the Fly between Kiwai and Mibu Islands, finally around the top of Mibu and down the NW side to th3 creek where the Cawling plantation is to pick up copra. The "Goodwill" was lying at anchor there, and Gordon was up at the house. He asked us to lunch after which the business of loading copra began. About five oclock we saw Luff's boat the "Aramia" coming up the river and he came to a halt too - probably the first time that three boats have ever been at Mibu at one and the same time. Luff went ashore with Gordon for supper while the skipper Johanssen and I had ours on board.