51 
examinations on all the children, looking especially for spleens. There 
were several enlarged spleens in infants and toddlers ! 
Walter came over to Tarasag before noon hour and took Judy and all 
remaining equipment back to the ship. His Boy Scout manner and solicitous 
rigidity and boyish desire to please and make things work is charming. 
I like him and feel sorry that I must so often simply use his many abilities 
without involving him as thoroughly in the scientific program as the doctors, 
Jean, Don and Judy. Yet it is only he who knows how to handle so many 
of the logistic details. He is caught in a strange position between the 
scientists of whose team he is a part, and the Captain and crew to whom 
he is one of themselves masquerading as one of the scientific team. He 
is directly responsible for getting our scientific work done in such a 
way as to reflect credit on the Alpha Helix program and in this capacity 
is even as responsible as the captain! Walter is hard of hearing, reputed- 
ly from shell noises in his military career. 
Kuru village, Gaua 
September 30, 1972 
We arrived here shortly after sunrise and Solotis showed us the anchor- 
age and passage for the shore boat through the reef. He and I and Paul 
went in through moderate seas until we cleared the reef and found ourselves 
in a marvelous small bay of clean green water. Kuru village is about 
200 feet above the bay . It overlooks the bay from a wonderful steep 
wall on which Kuru lies and the village is built on several levels. 
Beyond the village is a gully carrying a small trickle which because 
a rushing river after flash floods. There is a canalized water system 
conducting water in long bamboo cylinders to a site near the village, 
where a clean flowing source of drinking water is thus available. Don 
found the system ran for over 500 meters from just above a waterfall 
which falls into a basin deep enough for swimming. Thus, an unusual 
supply of fresh water is available here at Kuru. 
Beam village, Gaua (Mekion Bay) September 30, 1972 
The small shallow reef covered bay or lagoon before Beam gives it 
a charming setting. It is a strange village with less sign of European 
influence than any others I have seen on Gaua. Only Paul and I and Don 
landed while the Alpha Helix rode the sea offshore. We bled and studied 
all the inhabitants we have found here, as we did at Kuru, and now we 
are ready to embark over again. We have not found anything here in the 
way of handicrafts, but Don has purchased here a clear amber-covered 
Japanese glass fishing sphere for only $2.00. 
The people have been very friendly, receptive and helpful and our 
work has gone smoothly. With this full bleeding of Beam and we have 
covered all of the Kuru-Beam language Group. 
