Friday
June 4
1926

Just before the whipping scene of last evening Leroux called Matt over for a conference and this morning the details of it are available. Posthumus wants 60 more Dyaks to get the expedition to its objective, in the Nassau mountains. He has wired the war department that it is useless to try without them. Van Leeuwen wired the Indian Committee – which up to this time had not answered our leadership telegram – that the Dyaks were necessary and[,] if they were not forthcoming[,] suggested that the expedition be called home. They have evidently been worried over the delay of the committee in not answering the leadership question sooner. It has been some time since it was sent and the delay evidently appeared to them that they were deliberating in our favor. This proved not to be the case, however, for shortly afterwards Van Leeuwen appeared and said he {F1.44} had received a radio O King [sic, = okaying] the request. We don’t know whether it was received in time to ward off his other telegram or not but we are of the opinion that it came afterwards. It will be funny to see what happens now that he has the leadership and the Dyaks are not forthcoming. It was his request for withdrawal[,] it should be remembered[,] and so things stand. He did not show us the telegram he received for some reason or the other [sic], but just gave us that information. Inasmuch as we have consulted and showed him all of the telegrams that we sent and he even insisted on censoring the last one to the committee, it seems strange that he wouldn’t show us this one in which we are so vitally interested. The war department also has delayed answering all of Posthumus[’] telegrams. We sure would like to know what they sent but that is out of the realms of possibilities. If the committee had our side of it they might have decided differently. But we are interested in the success of the expedition and it is certain that under the old plan we wouldn’t get very far. Now we will have a chance of getting somewhere inside for it is their funeral is [sic, = if] they fail to do it. Before they were jealous of the credit and would do everything possible to hinder us. Now that it is up to them we should move faster and get under way, as soon as the Dyak question is settled. If they refuse additional Dyaks we will ask permission to do it ourselves and with the number of Dyaks that we are paying. We could do it in that manner easily, I believe.

We had fresh bread for breakfast this morning and it was good. They have slaughtered a steer so we will have fresh meat for lunch. That should help change the menu sufficient to make it taste good. The tinned stuff has been all right but one gets the feeling at times one would like to walk and walk with a can opener in one’s hand until some one asks what it is. The steer was delivered. Five huge slices were cut off and deposited in the sizzling frying pan. Oh! Boy! how good that meat smelt [sic] while it was cooking. It was a {F1.45} new smell. It has just been a month since we have had it wafted across our nostrils and the “sniffing” was good. I believe we all ate with more relish because of those beef steaks. Naturally they didn’t compare in jiucyness [sic] and tenderness with a good steak in the states but they tasted better in some respects for we hadn’t had the opportunity of putting our teeth in fresh meat for so long that that little pleasure was enjoyed. We had fresh bread with it. Such luxury is unheard of and I don’t know how we are going to be able to stand it. We have a good bit left, however, and barring the heat of the sun it should last for several meals.

Plans are being made for the plane to start work tomorrow morning. Hans and Prince are going to fly to Batavia Camp with a load of food. Hans says that with only the gas that is necessary to flay [sic, = fly] that short distance he can take off with Prince and 325 Kilos of food. He expects to make two trips in one day, and to have as much food up there as a transport can have up there in the same length of time. I think he will be able to do better than that. We are going to weigh everything that goes into the ship this time so that we will know just how much material is transported to Batavia Camp. If we can keep up with their transport in that manner we will be doing a good part of the transport work for over the rapids is the most difficult part of the entire long water line to Head Camp. It is the longest of any expedition, Leroux informs me. This evening Anji visited us for the first time in weeks. Matt and Prince entertained him most of the evening demonstrating some card tricks. He opened his eyes in amazement when Matt could tell him the card he selected when Matt didn’t have an opportunity of seeing it like he did. Matt then showed him the handkerchief trick with a match inside of it. He let Anji break the match into pieces and then unfolded the match and low [sic] and behold it was unbroken. Anji couldn’t {F1.46} understand it at all and it is not to be wondered at for many folks in the United States are dumbfounded when they observe the same trick. We had an enjoyable evening and Anji went away with the idea that Professor Stirling was an unusual man.