Between Connells and P. R. we stopped to shoot a red wallaby for meat for Fisher's dogs. Arrived Fisher's place about 1.00 PM. Former AAF radar camp, under west side of Aylen Hills and about half a mile from P. R. Wharf. Fishers have three fine children-- Barry aged 17, Judy aged 6 and Beverley aged 5. Living fairly com- fortably, if somewhat roughly. Have kerosene-burning refrigerator and some half dozen goats for milk. Have fresh vegetables for about a week after arrival of the monthly boat. Get fresh beef by air from Cooktown at cost of 6s a pound for freight. Fish plentiful. Country about Iron Range airstrip mainly eucalyptus savanna forest; good ra n-forest on adjacent Claudie River, and on hills a mile or two distant. Between airstrip and Connell's mainly tall rain-forest, edging streams and on the Iron Range line of hills; some savanna-forest, and a few treeless grassy areas of small size. Mainly good tall rain-forest for about three miles east along road from Connell's, then about two miles of very interesting shrub and small tree vegetation on top of a high ridge from which one gets a view of the sea to the east. Rest of distance mainly savanna-forest although strips of rain-forest follow streams and apparently big rain-forests cover much of the higher hill country at no great dis- tance back from the road to the west. All ridgy terrain. Road sur- face generally good, but a number of the smaller bridges have been burned by bush fires, and some of the bridges over bigger streams badly in need of repairs. Country at Portland Roads mostly box and bloodwood open savanna- forest (woodland) with crooked trees 30-50 feet high. Small patches rain-forest in heads of gullies. Coast in Weymouth Bay mostly man- grove fringed. Went fishing with the Fishers on P. R. Wharf in afternoon. Shot sardines for bait. Caught about a dozen trevally, snapper and some gaudy tropical reef species strange to me. Saturday, February 14 Very heavy rains; 7½ inches last night and over an inch through the day. Want to see more of the country, but the road, with its burnt out bridges would be impossible, according to Fisher, even if one did feel like travelling in the rain in a cabless truck. The two front wheels are off Fisher's other truck. In conversation with Fisher I find he knows very little about this country. Have got more information from Mrs. F., whose first husband ( ) was a miner at Iron Range, and who herself has prospected for gold. Am constantly told that Jack Gordon is the man for me to talk to, but Gordon is out on a prospecting trip and is not expected back for six weeks. From what I have seen, from the air and on the ground, I con- sider two months not too long to spend in the general area: one week at Portland Roads; two weeks at RAAF camp at Iron Range; two to three weeks at a camp on the upper Claudie, from where we can reach Mt. Tozer (1784 ft.); and the rest of the time at a camp from which we could work the big rain-forests about Connell's and the shrubby ridges to the east of there. Fisher has a 70x20 foot army