history of sandalwood getting in the Pacific would make a lurid story. Much blood has been shed over it. Blackbirding, sandalwooding, and pearling attracted men of the same ilk, in the days before the law. Was preparing plants in my tent about the middle of the afternoon when I heard shouting from the ridge to the north. Sent Willie to investigate and he soon brought in the maker of the noise. A big, smiling young abo who stood to a very knock-kneed attention and presented a letter from the head of Cowal Ck. Mission introducing him as Roy Stephen, come to work for us. Wore a filthy shirt and had left his swag at the sawmill -- too heavy to carry, said he. His military manner comes from service in the Marine Transport Corps during the war. Have given him to George to try out. Wednesday May 12: Botanical activities centered more or less on palms and pandanus. Found a single example of Nipa fruticans in a creek flowing into the next bay north, and collected two more palm spp. in the rain forest. Made fruitless search for fertile material of a common pandan of the rain-forest - a sp. with long stilt roots and persistent bracts; fruits all shed. After living among them for a week, I discovered only this afternoon that the wind-beaten pandans so characteristic of the coast sand dunes belong to two very distinct species. Dick Holland arrived in his truck about 5 o'clock, bringing mails, Had arranged with him to drive us to Somerset and neighboring area on a reconnaissance trip tomorrow. Reports about 2½ inches of rain at Lockerbie. Weather has taken up today. Only a few scuds of showers. But the wind keeps on as before. Friday May 14: Yesterday we (George, Van, and my boy Willie) made our visit to Somerset to compare that classic locality with the areas we have worked on the tip of the Peninsula. From camp to Somerset we followed the coast, crossing the bald headlands on wheel tracks left by the army, and running along the hard wet sand of the beaches in between. Somerset is deserted. The old house in a bad state of disrepair, the roof rusting floors and roof starting to collapse, doors and windows broken open by vandals (crews of small boats), and the rooms swirling, and smelling, of bats. It was here that Frank Jardine, the pioneer cattleman and pearler, lived with his Samoan wife, Sana, and reared a family of two sons and two daughters. Somerset was established as a govt. outpost almost 100 years ago, and a resident and a small garrison stationed there to guard the Queen's interests. John Jardine, Frank's father, was appointed resident in 1863. Next year Frank (then 23) and his brother Alec reached Somerset with a small mob of cattle, after an adventurous journey through the whole length of the Peninsula from Carpenteria Downs. They were attacked by blacks, lost most of their stores by fire. Arrived at Somerset with some 200 head of cattle, a few horses, and practically nothing else, Frank's only dress was a leather belt and a 45 Colt. The cattle were let loose on Vallack Point, about a mile north of where we camped on Newcastle Bay. Later, in 1867 or thereabouts, they were moved to Lockerbie, where grazing was better and there was more