The water had risen considerably during the night and it was just under our floors. We had much reading to do and got off a letter to Dr. Wetmore of the Smithsonian and sent a copy as well as a short letter to Hoover. As the water was everyplace in camp we had to stay in our house and most of the day was spent in the clambos reading the letters, newspapers and magazines. We sure were way behind the times for much had happened in the world since we last heard of it three months or more ago. We splashed around in the water up to our knees and higher in spots and got some good pictures of the camp under water, both movies and stills. Despite the high water we are not suffering any discomforts from it so far. It was funny to see Van Leeuven go around in the rain wading way over his knees in water and with an umbrella over him. To make the picture more humerous [sic] he fell in while going to the bath house and was soaking {F3.17} wet all over. Despite this he held the umbrella over him drowned as he was. I had a short discussion with both Van Leeuven and leRoux in front of the house in the early morning and told them what I thot of those who had sullied or tried to sully our reputation by giving the papers the dope that it was a film expedition and said that whoever it was that sent that information out from Albatros camp would have to answer to it when we came back. Leroux then came back with the statement that Dick himself had said he represented Paramount and I told him it was a darn lie and whoever said he did was a liar of the worst type. I also pointed out that if the movies wanted to get pictures here they would not tie up with a scientific expedition to do it for they could make better and more interesting backgrounds in their own studios in California and said that if anybody knew anything about the moving pictures industry at all they would know that. Posthumus sat across in his house and heard the whole conversation and kept his eyes on the floor when I said someone in Albatros camp had willfully given that information out and with a purpose. But we got over our anger for we are determined to make this expedition a success no matter what they do and say and swallowed hard. Matt said nothing at all except that he was displeased with the entire affair and that they surely knew before to Java that the scientific standing of the expedition was guaranteed by the State Department and the Smithsonian Institution. The day sped by and found us eagerly reading the papers and magazines, well into the evening. The river continued to rise for it rained heavily. We could see more rain in the mountains.
