Friday, Mar. 26 - Monday, Mar. 29 Away from Cairns on a collecting trip to Speewah, the property of George Vievers, in the mountains 8½ miles west of Cairns. Speewah "pronounced Speer-wah) is on Moonoba Ck., a tributary of the Clohesy River (tributary of the Barron River). The homestead, a largish galvanized iron house on high stumps is 1500 feet above sea level, in a clearing of perhaps 50 acres where the rainforest of the main range joins the savanna-forests of the inland slopes. Back of the house and clearing, toward the cost, Mt. Williams rises to 3200 ft. and Chujeba Peak to 3000 ft. During the last war there was an artillery post on one of the hills near the homestead, and a foot track leading through a gap in the range and down to Stoney Creek Station, on the Cairns- Mareeba railway, was to be used as an escape route from Cairns in the event that the Japs made a landing. Speewah was established as a grazing property by George Vievers' father about 40 years ago. A big sandstone tombstone, stained dark with age and climate, marks the old mans' resting place in the clearing. Present activities are cattle grazing in the savanna-forests, and timber getting in the rainforests. The cattle are Brahmins or a Brahmin-Shorthorn cross. The timber is carried in the log by motor truck to Cairns. "Maple" is perhaps the most important of several species of trees cut for timber. The Vievers are a typical pioneer family. Though only a few miles from Cairns in a direct line, they live in isolation. Few people will risk their cars on the 5 miles of road that connect Speewah with the fine bitumen road which links Cairns with Mareeba. It goes up and down over high hills and is badly washed out in places. Traveling out, we had a 30-cwt. truck and Ern Stephens' small Vauxhall car. The little Vaux flexed so much on the rough spots that the fan beat a big hold in the radiator. The outward trip, with the truck alone, took 40 minutes from homestead to highway. Besides the four of us, our party included Ern Stephens and his wife, Gordon Stephens, and Alf Reid, the latter a staunch member of the Cairns naturalists' club and interested mainly in marine life. The Stephens and Reid returned to Cairns Saturday; Ern and his wife brought the truck back to Speewah Monday, and drove us down to Cairns. The truck on loan from Harold Armstrong, manager of the C.O.D. The only modern convenience in the Speewah homestead is a battery-operated radio. Wood stove. Bathroom with one enamel wash basin and a mirror (bathing is done in the creek). Lighting is by kerosene burning hurricane lamps and wall lamps, and a small carbide lamp (of which only the carbide lamp gives enough light to read by). Mrs. V. complains good naturally about having no refrigerator. All the money, she says, goes into buying more cattle. We brought our own food, which we ate in the dining room while the family ate in the kitchen, but we could see that the family food was plenti- ful and good, though rather short on meat for the time being. Vievers and his sons were going to kill a beast, but had not got around to doing it. The dogs - 4 or 5 - were on a diet of boiled sweet potatoes. A small dam of logs and concrete has been put in the creek, and from it water is pumped to the house by hydraulic ram. Kindly, thoughtful Mrs. V. did all she could to make us comfortable. George had his hammock; I had a borrowed camp cot; the others were given beds of various sorts. When Mrs. V. baked scones or cookies, there were extras for us; besides fresh milk, and granadilla salad and junket. We paid back with baker's bread, and scarce butter, cheese and sugar. If the mess orderly for the time being - we took turns at cooking and dis washing - was slow, he would find his chores done for him. All this by an ample woman, no longer young, and not used to wearing the shoes she felt she ought to wear while we were her guests. Some of the family had married and left home, leaving young George, living with his wife and young son in a cottage up the creek, and younger Morris, living with his