strike in sympathy with the railway men. The "Time" is tied up at Mackay, with our cargo in the bottom of her holds. George and Van have with them enough gear and supplies to do limited mammal collecting, and we are scouring the town for more. Geoff found some rat traps. Our friends are rallying around with precious shot gun shells - 75 from Gallop and a like number from George Brooks. The Naturalist's Club have placed a big room at our collection for working space and storage of specimens. This morning Stephens drove George out to see a fruit-bat camp three miles out of town. Plenty of bats there which can be collected at any time. This afternoon plans were finalized for George and Van to do some collecting in the Cairns hinterland. Van will go to a Main Roads construction camp in virgin rain-forest about 12 miles south of Millaa Millaa. A timber access road, called the Maalan-Suttee Creek Road, is being put into that remote country. The camp is at about 2500 ft. on top of the Range, with the South John-stone River close to the east and feeders of the Tully draining the opposite side of the range. George will first go to Chillagoe to collect bats in the limestone caves, then join Van on the Maalan- Suttee Creek Road. Transport is being provided by Gallop, on behalf of the Main Roads Commission. Gallop will furnish a car and his own driver, and an assistant engineer (Abiss) will go along on an insp-ec- tion tour. The party is to leave Cairns early Wednesday morning, drop Van at a road junction near Herberton, where he will be met by the man in charge of the Maalan-Suttee construction, and go on the same day humbnail to Chillagoe. George will chase bats there for one or two days, then be driven back to join Van. Gallop is lending Van a double-barrel gun, and is providing blankets, mosquito nets and eating utensils. Van never ceases to marvel at the kindness of these northern people, and their eagerness to help--nor do I. Tuesday, March 2 A check on the strike situation indicates that things are likelyack to get worse before they get better. The one ray of hope for the early delivery of our cargo is the fact that the Time has a big cargo of flour and supplies are very short here in the north. Townsville will be without bread tomorrow. The Cairns supply of flour will be exhausted by the weekend, and some of the inland towns are already out of it. The beer supply in Cairns has been reduced 60% as of today. That will be a staggering blow for the idle workers. It is thought that when they run short of beer and tobacco they will be willing to got back to work. Food for their wives and babies is not a matter of such great concern. Called on Mr. Crothers (or Carruthers), local Forestry officer, to discuss the country south of Cooktown. A nice old chap, who was Forest Guard at Mt. Molloy when I collected there in 1932, but no deep mine Of information. Could not tell me anything new on Mt. Finnegan. All of us to dinner with the Bates at Edgehill.