55 
I slept out on the beach in a small sideless shelter with Stanley 
Webb yeaterday. Because of rain tonight I shall sleep down at the school 
in an open-sided classroom. I dislike sleeping indoors I 
Just aboard the Alpha Helix from Aya village. 
Rah Island, Mota Lava October 3, 1972 
Dick Ferber, Ray and I took the small dory belonging to Rah over 
for a visit to the patients I have seen here two days ago. Before we 
set out, the first boat load including: 
1 . David Hunt 
2. Stanley Webb 
3. Dick Rawcliffe 
4 . Frank 
5. 
and Judy and Don, with most of our remaining supplies, left for the Alpha 
Helix which sailed by Nereniuman without anchoring offshore, loaded on pass- 
engers and set forth. I came from ashore this morning onto the ship to 
discuss with Captain Phinny our program possibilities. We had agreed 
to load supplies and some of our scientists on board at 3 p.m. and 
I would myself try to finish by 4 to 4:30 p.m., leaving us the possibility 
of sailing to Vanua Lava today for anchorage there in Port Paterson. 
However, if we were to be late we should have to anchor off Mora Lava 
as the ship has done for two nights. Dick, Ray, and I took far longer 
than I had anticipated to examine two patients on Rah island and we only 
finally got back to the Alpha Helix at 5:15 p.m. after a fine send-off 
by over a hundred of the islanders all wanting to shake hands and standing 
knee-deep in water to wave us off. It has been a memorable experience 
to be here on Moa Lava and this island has been the happiest and most 
rewarding experience of our trip thus far for almost all of us. Dick, 
Judy, Don and Ray affirm this emphatically and it is hard to state what 
makes Mosa Lava so special for them even over our experience on Merelava, 
Merig, and Gaua. They could all talk to the people here more easily since 
English is better spoken than on the other islands, and the cluster of 
five villages on this end of the island gives a high population density 
which contributes to the pleasant social aspect of the island. Everyone 
comments with surprise as to how friendly the people have all been and 
also on how courteous they are and how they try to please and how tactful 
they are- in trying not to offend. 
Stanley Webb of Qeremande village expressed his willingness to stay 
with me on the beach overlooking Rah Island. David Hunt, a 15 year old 
from Nereniumen village has been friendly and solicitious, but David is 
a later adolescent than Stanley and is more self-conscious and cautious 
of his role in the islands. He thus tries to make sure that he does not 
jeopardize his own position by leaving himself open to jibes because of 
his solicitiousness of me, care to help me and being with me. Stanley can 
take it more easily and converts such teasing and taunting to his own 
psychic advantage but not so with David. 
