Friday
June 18
1926

We were up bright and early and had breakfast over with a little after seven. Prince was feeling much better. He retired early last night and obtained a good night[’]s rest. He said he was just a little stiff all over but outside of that was all fit. I am glad of that. Immediately after breakfast the Ern was loaded and at 8:35 started on her flight for Batavia Camp carrying 310½ kilos of food. The new landing place appears to be all right although there is a rather bad back wash of current at that particular spot. They taxied up the stream and around Havic [sic] Island and took off around the bend in the river. They have a good long stretch in that direction and Hans believes it will be much better. The water has disappeared on one side of the island and if anything was to happen to the motor while he was taking off as before he would have to land on the sand bank. It took him approximately fifteen minutes to taxie [sic] to the end of the island and he disappeared around the bend. Finally, however, we heard the roar of the motor and when he came in sight after passing the island he was in the air and had about 150 feet of altitude. Evidently that is the best way to take off for he got up quickly it seemed. The convicts were busy clearing away the trees from the shore of the new landing place and they have built a platform and steps {F1.108} down to the river which facilitates loading. They have also cleared a path to the spot which makes it more accessable [sic]. It looked good to see the Ern in the Air again. She was idle for seven days. They had cleared the motor and inspected her thoroughly. She started very quickly the first time, and chopped them off nicely as she idled just before the start. It was the earliest start the plane had ever made in New Guinea and the weather was perfect. No mist or low hanging clouds to speak of. Of course we do not know what lies over the mountains and in the plain sections. The river had risen considerably during the night. It appeared to be about two feet. The river will probably rise and fall from now on for it appears to be about normal. It is [sic] gets exceptionally dry it will fall many feet more. The logs which were visible yesterday were entirely covered with water again today. Rained heavily most of the night. That is the reason. As a result the camp was very muddy in all directions despite the log walks they have been busy laying out for the past week. The camp has the appearance now of a good sized village and is quite orderly and well kept. We have our alleys, avenues, and prominades [sic]. It is a big change in a month and a half since we landed and everything was jungle. There has been much work done on it and at the present time we have as nice a camp as one could ask for. Hans returned with his accustomed schedule like regularity and nosed the Pontoons of the Ern into the mud bank of her new anchorage. The back wash didn’t seem to make much difference except that Hans had to gun her a little more than usual to buck it just before he came into shore. The Ern was fastened securely and it was decided to have luncheon for it was then eleven o’clock. After lunch was over she was loaded again with 310½ kilos and they took off, after a good deal of difficulty due to the motor not starting. The sun was very warm and Matt, Hans and Prince all took turns at the crank. It was at the worst part of the day and it tuckered them out completely. There is some thing about {F1.109} that cranking that gets the wind and they all had to take a rest. Mr. Leroux helped Moon and I hold one wing so the ship wouldn’t be carried into the float alongside. After a rest they tried again and it finally started. They were off up stream and as they approached Havic [sic] Island we could see that the current was very strong for the Ern barely seemed to move. They were soon in the aid [sic, = air]. The Papuans were present during this take off and they got quite a kick out of it. We sat around and visited with Leroux. Afterwards I came back and wrote in the diary. It was about three o’clock when the ship returned and we were all present to greet her. She was doing well. The weather was not so good coming back the boys reported. They had flown for a considerable distance through the rain. It looked bad over in that direction. Hans was uncertain and it appeared that he didn’t relish another trip to Batavia Camp. He asked Prince about it and Prince looked and said “Oh we might as well. Let’s go eh?” and Hans agreed. They took off upstream for the third time today. The wind started blowing and it did not look so promising. She was soon in the air and had about two hundred feet when she came in sight between Havik Island and the mainland. It was rather bumpy, however, for we could see her jumping around somewhat even from this distance. I hurried to get back to our house for I wanted to see if we could see them for some time in the air as before when they took off from in front of camp. When I arrived, however, the plane was not in sight and it is possible that they are not high enough so we can see them. It has been Hans’ custom to circle around the island once for altitude before he starts out on his trip but today he had been taking off and heading straight for the mountains. We did hear the roar of the motor though for a short space of time. Matt and I returned to Leroux’[s] front porch and sat waiting for the time when it was in order to expect their return. The weather man was threatening all over and after {F1.110} a half hour or so we could see a large rainbow in the sky in that general direction. The boys reported that they had seen another one of those rainbows on the ground during their flight through the rain on the last trip. It was much larger than the one we had seen on my trip and Hans said that it was double in one place. Prince was quite enthused over it. They took off at 3:40 so we figured it out that they were due back about 5:15 or 5:30 if all went well. When that time came we sat watching for them. The sky had cleared considerably over the lake plain section but to the left of that it was very black and we could see we were in for rain and perhaps a storm. I did not like the looks of the weather and was rather uneasy. This grew upon me when they had failed to appear on the horrizon [sic] in their accustomed spot at 5:30 and we sat and watched anxiously for them as it gradually grew balcker [sic] and blacker. Finally the storm burst upon us and it rained heavily. In the meantime it looked bad in the Lake Plain section direction again and our uneasiness increased. When they had been gone for two hours and had not put in an appearance both Matt and I were very uneasy. Mr. Leroux got his glasses and trained them on the sky, but to no avail. As we sat straining our eyes it slowly became darker and darker. It was plainly evident that they were not going to return this evening. We hoped against hope, however, they might burst through the clouds and were in readiness to receive them. Even Moon the convict who has been appointed third assistand [sic] mechanic stood by with an anxious look on his face. Dick came up and inquired about them. He thought that they were staying at Batavia Camp for the night because it was too threatening. When it finally became so dark that it was useless to look for them any longer we returned to our camp and ate supper in silence. It is hard to tell tonight just what has happened. I am of the opinion that they (if they got through the storm on the up trip) {F1.111} stayed at Batavia Camp for the night for I believe it looked bad in this direction from there and they did not want to risk it back. Matt and Dick are of the opinion that it was not the weather but a forced landing and they they [sic] are on the river someplace tonight. It is raining heavily as I write. If they had to come down because of engine trouble they will be all right and will be back tomorrow or the next day for the transport will return tomorrow night and pick them up. If something happened to the plane they are in the jungle someplace and it will be hard to find them. We are hoping against hope that they are safe. The fact that Hans didn’t think it was a good thing to make the third trip today is a bad omen. I thought of it at the time when Prince said “Well we might as well go” in answer to his “What do you say kid”. [sic] I think if they were fortunate enough to have passed through the storm which hit us just about the time they were going through the rapid part of the route[,] they are safe and sound in Batavia Camp, and will be in in the morning. It was the thirteenth flight of the Ern in New Guinea and today is Friday at that. That’s a bad combination, for one who is superstitious. We did not eat very much supper and I suppose we will not spend a very restful night. I hope they wake us up in the morning but it won’t be possible to look for them before ten at least because the clouds are always bad until that time. Today was an exception for they got away to an early start. It was not yet nine when they were in the air and it was unusually clear. In the afternoon, however, it changed very suddenly. I hope we can tell better news in tomorrow[’]s record. Matt and I played bridge in the evening with Lieutenant Korteman and Leroux and Hoffman. We spent a very pleasant evening and Korteman proved to be a most excellent host. He served us with wine, cigars and cookies. Dick dropped in and watched the game for several minutes before retiring. The evening sped by rapidly and it {F1.112} helped take our minds off the boys who were missing. We couldn’t help but think of them and wonder just where they were as it rained heavily. If they were forced down on the river they will spend a very uncomfortable night. That’s certain. It was after eleven when we quit playing bridge and retired. It rained most of the evening. Not so good. Leroux and Hoffman are excellent bridge players. Korteman is about in my class.