31701-0018-0001

15th Battn Detach.,
Port Moresby
Papua.
23rd Oct '40

My Darling Nancy,

Tonight I have had no small amount of happiness in re-reading your last letter. Was it
womanly intuition that prompted you to thoughtfully send those puffs of powder? While I was reading I caught a familiar scent - it brought a thousand memories back; then it dawned on me - your powder.

My 'Garden of Eden' Porebada, is to me an unreal, romantic dream; and I've only been back here for a few days. Even with its unavoidable responsibilitys I feel still incapable of doing it justice with mere writing. The only thing I really regret is that you weren't there to share my experience.

Sunday afternoon a party of cobbers had me guide them to the native 'burial' grounds. I felt depressed & wasn't at all keen on the venture but as they insisted I consented. Twenty minutes of fast walking brought us to the thick scrub hiding their both sacred & secret boneyard. We sneaked through the scrub as silent as possible & found the skulls. Though I had brought my prized camera, I knew you would rather me not use it on skulls so I let the others use theirs. We were brushing the leaves away when we were 'spotted',