Thursday, April 1 The four of us got away from Cairns about 3 P.M. on a utility truck hired from, and driven by a chap named Woodward. Cost 3/10/- for the trip of about 32 miles. Called at Meringa Experiment Station to pick up a carbide lamp, loaned by Gil Bates. Also called at Kearn's farm at Cucania to say hello, and inquire if young Bill would be willing to guide us up Mt. Bellender Ker should weather permit the climb during our stay. Today and yesterday have been showery. Young Bill is willing. He and a friend climbed the mountain during Easter; camped 3 nights at Tick Camp. Have a comfortable camp in the labor barracks of Wiemer, Stroud & Giddons, after we cut some of the tall weeds around the place, threw out a lot of old cloth- ing left by last year's canecutters, and swept the cobwebs and horse dung out of the rooms. The doors had been left open and no doubt the horses sheltered here during rainy days. We have a wood stove with broken grate, newly greased. Awful smoke and smell when Geoff lit the first fire. Beautiful, clear cool water is piped down from the mountain side for kitchen and shower room. The building is of galvanized iron with concrete floor. Crude, but a good camp for us. Friday, April 2 15 rats, caught in 39 traps, plus 2 Dactylopsile which were brought from Cairns (brought in alive by Mr. Wiles, cane farmer of Smithfield, too late to be taken care of yesterday), kept George and Van busy at their skinning table most of the day. Both went jacking in evening - got nothing. The trapped rats were of 4 species. Geoff collected near camp. Catch included good specimens of the big green and gold day-flying moth. Spied out the foot of the mountain on a 4-hour walk south to Junction Ck. (about 1/2 mile) at the edge of the canelands, then up the rocky (granite) bed of the creek, crossing from side to side, until I was forced to leave it and make my way through trackless rainforest rather thick with lawyer-cane (Calamus). After perhaps 1/2 mile of this, came to the intake for our camp water supply in the pool below a pretty waterfall. Followed the pipeline down 2-300 yards to the edge of the forest, then down through the canefields to camp. George in the late afternoon went up to the edge of the forest (ca. 1/2 mile) to look for the beginning of the track up the mountain. Found where young Kerns and his companion cut a path through dense raspberry thickets edging the forest, but failed to pick up the track in the forest. Saturday, April 3 Only 3 rats from traps last night (mostly in second growth and forest edges). All traps moved to the primary rainforest on the lower slopes of the mountain. Spent morning on a reconnaissance of the track up the mountain. Entered forest by the track cut through the raspberries and cast around for about 1/2 hour before I picked up the trail marked by recent blazes. Improving the trail as I went along, I climbed to 1750 ft. by aneroid in 2½ hours. A steep trail up to 1350 ft., where I got to the crest of a razorback spur and the forest became fairly open underneath and the grades less steep. Below that level a climbing bamboo, hanging from the trees and looped on the ground, was a