200 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



been mentioned for years, now and again, but I had 

 hitherto been very reluctant to enter upon such an 

 expedition as I was afraid of the cost. Now this 

 project was revived and I answered promptly (Sept. 

 4, 1909): 



" I shall be only too happy to start whenever you 

 please ; I am tired of doing nothing, just as much tired 

 as I sometimes get of being in New Guinea. I expect 

 I shall end my days there. I was considering the 

 advisability of attempting something over there when 

 your letter came. No one who ever lives a great 

 while in the South Sea Islands but is sure to return 

 there sooner or later. The islands always seem to 

 be calling, and to make one dissatisfied elsewhere. 

 If you care I could make a start early in April to 

 recruit boys, and could get up to Dutch New Guinea 

 somewhere about July." 



When preparing for this expedition I heard that 

 the British Ornithologists' Union was also organising 

 an expedition to Dutch New Guinea. However, the 

 news did not disturb me much in completing my 

 preparations. There was plenty of room for many 

 expeditions in the enormous mountain range I 

 intended to reach, and the only serious drawback 

 of another party having been in the place was this, 

 that the natives might possibly be spoiled by them in 

 one way or the other. 



I left Sydney in February of 1910 for Samarai by 

 way of the Solomons for this my last big expedition 



