Monday
October 4
1926
Papuans say we will reach village tonite. Don[’]t know whether he is figuring his speed which with only little bag over shoulder and bows and arrows is certainly swift thru jungle. Soldiers and convicts succeeded in getting him to carry blanket and one canvass [sic] role [sic] which he carries over his head. He received a convict shirt for it yesterday, met him on [the] trail and [the] other guide went back [to] his village before we camped for the night. Going tougher all the time. At noon reached large river bouncing down thru gorge and over boulders short way up stream was a beautiful water falls. Shot movies and then it rained. Trail followed river down stream short distance and then up high mountain. Half way up could see village of Aermba where our guide is from. While we were eating lunch another Pygmy Papuan met us and continued on with us. Trail was rougher today and at 3 o’clock we see we can’t make [the] village for [the] carriers are way behind and will do well to get here by five. Our two Papuan guides signed to us they would go ahead and reach [the] village by dark. We prepared camp half way up [the] mountain side. Water was far below. Carriers straggled in one by one from 4 to 5 and it rained heavy before camp [was] established. Rained heavy all evening and boys had [a] hard time to prepare supper. We did have early tea so that helped. Cold in evening despite we were in sort of [a] hollow with mountains all about us. [sic]
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