Thursday
August 26th
1926

We were up and packing for an early start before daylite, 5 o’clock. At six it was lite enough and we started. As we pulled away our Papuan friends appeared and eagerly seized the empty tins we had left behind. The river had fallen about a foot during the nite and it was necessary to go back a short distance and go around the island. We got stuck a short distance above camp and lost a half hour or more. We crept along slowly and got nowhere. It is nerve racking to say the least. Papuans above for 3 hours came out to trade but we couldn’t stop. They were surprised of course and waved their stone axes and bows and arrows shouting saro. At nine we tried to avoid a long bend and take a short cut and got stuck before we started. We were in front of a Papuan village and they came out, about 30 from up the cut came to trade but this long way around will cost us 3 hours or more so they follow along on the sand bars. We are not even going as fast as they can walk slowly. It is a hot nerve racking experience. All day long Papuans appeared and were eager to trade but we cannot stop. At 4:30 we arrived at a bivauc and stopped for the nite. A Papuan village was immediately below us and across the river was another. They were in camp before we landed. I secured some good objects with a few beads. They[,] like the others[,] wanted saros. That is the cry of New Guinea now. So for a couple of ston[e] axes, bows and arrows, knitted head caps, body ornaments, etc. they received a large saro. They wanted more and brought additional stone axes but we have none left and they are disappointed. They like the beads tho and trade doesn’t stop. This is not one of our bivaucs made coming up so these folks are new to us. They are a timid sort and not bold like most of the others. They departed before dark also and we had our dinner and were off to bed for the Jamucks [sic, = nyamuk (Malay, “mosquitoes”)] were bad. All day again tomorrow and then “Barencaillie” [sic, = barangkali (Malay “perhaps, maybe”)] M.C. The speed we {F3.56} made today would just about get us there at dark. It rained heavily all evening but we were dry. Had our pills and gave the rest to Dot for they were out.