40 
The older schoolboys have a huge musical repertoire of tunes and words 
in Mota language and in their own, and in English, French, and Bis-la-man. 
The Diocese of Melanesia used to use the Mota language in all their in- 
struction; it now uses English. In singing, as elsewhere in the Pacific, 
where introduced by missionaries, the hymns have largely repaired traditional 
songs and music. The people sing the words, which are in their own language, 
and the tune, which is a well known himn, and they also enjoy part-singing 
and do very well with it. 
There are two cows on Merelava, both at St. John. Previously, there 
had been more cows elsewhere than at St. John. There have been no goats, 
sheep, horses, mules or donkeys, and no turkeys. There are many dogs, cats, 
pigs, chickens, and many wild rats, and flying foxes of two types. There 
are no ducks now, but in times past there were some. 
Merig Island, Levovol Village September 24, 1972 
All of our party, exempt Raymond, are on shore for the night, and Walter 
is also on shipboard. Don Bowdin has left to go to Santo on board the 
Rocinante with Captain Buchanski, who made the appointed rendezvous with 
us at 3 p.m. today just off Merig Island. We arrived at 2 p.m., after 
studying the southeast end of the island, and as we approached it we found 
no houses or people, and absolutely no possibility of a landing; then we 
lay off the more sheltered northwest, along which we still found no possible 
landing. Then Captain Buchanski came across to us in his dory of the Rocin- 
ante on the surf-washed ledge with the help of the villagers, and we unloaded 
some of the supplies I had packed and then hiked about one eighth of a mile 
Inland to the compact village of Levolvol . The island has been laid waste 
by three fierce hurricanes earlier this year. All the houses, but one, were 
blown down and the village had been reconstructed quickly. 
I promptly Informed the villagers of our purpose and asked if they would 
be examined here in the center of the village, and if they could house a 
total of eight of us for the night, if we came ashore. They said they could. 
Walter Geary has not received a report from me; thus, just before 
leaving the ship this evening I rapidly drafted a report of our completed 
work on Merelava, and our new work starting here on Merig. Don Bowdin 
has taken the serum suspended red cells in residual serum, after pipetting 
off the serum, and will air freight them to Bob Kirk in Canberra perhaps 
tomorrow, in the huge styrofoam icebox we have used on land at Merelava. I 
trust they will arrive in good shape in Canberra, and that Bob will not 
be furious with me for obstructing his planned publications. I have not 
yet finished with the draft of the Colombian paper he sent back to me, and 
that I must now do quickly while on the Alpha Helix . 
It is clear that the Alpha Helix was not designed or envisaged as a 
base for shore-based medical work. The captain and the crew, and even Walter 
are astonished to see us all ashore and missing meals on the ship, and they 
