“1-29-43  - went with Druck over to the 54’s co. out on the west end of channel. The route was along the channel, past French Hospital and mission. These building are outposts of “civilization” white & yellow painted, many of the adjacent plantation sheds made of corrugated metal  Natives around do the work.  Further on the road it became very rough, as it wound [end of P5 front)

[P 5 back]     through the coconut grove.  At one place we crossed a river in a barge & another jeep picked us up. The roads became even worse, deep ruts, muddy, had to side skirt them.  The costal defense camp was on a fine spot overlooking the channel mouth. Cpt.       A former chem Engineer in petroleum industry & rubber was in charge. He, oddly enough served us some New Zealand beer. He was interested in the island, the people, etc. He showed us a collection of coral of all types he’d gotten himself.  He had some bores and tusks he’d gotten from natives. He had made some beautiful bracelets of them.  The natives he said used the hogs as money & age of hog made them more valuable as money.  This was judged by the turns In the tusks. Thus they removed the upper tusks which naturally ground the lower one     

[P6 start]   1-29-43 con’t.   down.  The tusk would then grow and turn on itself and actually penetrate the jaw bone. He had one with two complete turns. A three turn is very rare. The pig has to be fed by hand. Many of em die of tetanus. He said pigmyies come to his camp to trade trinkets etc. 

The English plantation owners are on this side of Island.  Their coconut groves are smaller than the French because the French have the imported Tonkinese labor from Indo China to work and clean the Jungles.  Apparently the English trade with the natives for coco-coffee on nearby Islands & get it for almost nothing. These people make a great deal of money.  70,000 dollars one plantation owner a year. They then go back to civilization in a few years -but some stay here –

[P 6 back]  One of the English plantation owners boys was at Camp – He was slight of build – poorly developed an nourished – took quinine 3x weeks (?).  Had had malarial fever. Spoke French and /English. Had an obvious vitamin deficiency chilitis, thinning of Skin about eyes. No palpable spleen. Fairly poor teeth. Mature for age.  Down here in tropics they say children mature much more rapidly. The jungles are cleared by getting a tribe of natives down and feeding them. They then cut down the jungle & work from a center spot.  All night they feast and dance. Many such areas are cleared and this goes on for weeks. The pygmies have bamboo in ears & noses. Have wooden [p7 start] 1-29-43-cont. combs to keep bushy hair up. The natives of the adjacent islands are cannibals and head hunters & also on the north end of the Island.  The north and center part of the Island has never been explored – there are many native tribes who have never seen white men and are hostile to visitors.  Martin Johnson was here some few years ago & actually started his expedition from Surunda Bay one half mile from us.”