22. Thursday Jan. 8: Writing letters to Geoff, etc. in morning. P.M. visited offices of John Burke & Co. in South Brisbane. Talked with John Burke Jr. (Manager), and Mr. Hann, who handles passengers. Very affable and willing to help. Have been holding two four-berth cabins for us on both the February and March boats to Thursday Id. Their boats have only just been released from Government control. They hope to resume regular 28-day service between Brisbane abd T.I., beginning this week. The 900 ton Wandana will be on this run. She has to go into drydock in March or April (most probably April, says Burke, as March likely to be too rainy) and will then be replaced by a much smaller vessel, the "Alagna". Alagna has accommodations for only 4 passengers, but will fit us in somehow. The March boat will probably leave Brisbane on the 6th, Cairns on the 11th, and Arrive T.I. about the 16th. This schedule will suit us well, as it will get us to the Tip at a time when the rains should soon be over. The April boat will leave T.I. on the southward voyage about April 22. This will give us about 5 weeks to work the Tip. The boat does not normally stop at Portland Roads on the southward run, but will make a special call to drop us there. This boat schedule will suit us very well, if it works out that way. There is labor trouble in coastal shipping or a prospect of it, according to Burke. John Burke also has a small vessel, the "Leisha", which this year will maintain a monthly service between Cairns and the Annie River Lancing (the new port for Coen), during the dry season. We can therefore land at Portland Roads from the Wandana or Alagna, move overland to Coen, then south to Annie River to meet the Leisha which will carry us to Cooktown. Prospects look good for boat transport along the coast. Letter from Geoff, giving financial statement of expedition expenses to date. Also letter from the Ipswich Workshops Education Association, inviting me to give a lunch hour talk. White tells me that we will need permits from the Forestry Dept. to collect certain orchids. Friday Jan. 9. C Called at the Museum to get a copy of our permit to collect zoological material. The Minister of Agriculture and Stock has given us an unlimited permit "to collect fauna or their eggs in the State of Queensland." No restriction on numbers or on the collection of protected mammals and birds. Mack, however, warns me of a hidden joker in the Fauna Protection Act. There is a clause under which royalty can be collected on skins. Mack says that several years ago, when he was at the Melbourne Museum, he was charged royalty on skins collected in Queensland. The royalty clause was no doubt written in to collect revenue from commercial collectors and from kangaroo shooters and possum trappers. Have not yet been able to read the Act, but apparently there is no plain escape for purely scientific collectors, and certain high officials have seen to it that scientific collectors paid up. Mack mentions the possibility of our having to pay up to 5/- royalty on skins. The Dept. has been reorganized recently, with new men in the top places. Mack will make unofficial inquiries on our behalf. Talked the matter over with White and he is of the opinion that Mack is inclined to magnify difficulties and it is most unlikely that we will be stuck with royalty payments. Will go into this when I return from Crows Nest next week. Also have to find out if there are going to be any restrictions on the number of zoological specimens we can export. Permits to collect, and permits to export, are two different things. It is necessary to get export permits from both Queensland and Commonwealth authorities. Discussed this with the Collector of Customs (Commonwealth) this afternoon, and was assured by him that his department will OK anything that is approved by the State authorities. My personal feeling is that we can expect a liberal interpretation of the Fauna Protection Act by Queensland officials. They have certainly been generous in granting permission to collect.