MALACAÑANG
Manila
12:30 AM
May 4, 1970
Aboard the 777
Ursula Island was a disappointment. There was rain at about 5:30 AM and there were no birds. We were all wet so we went swimming after which I went into the forest. Felt a mosquito bite so I have insisted everybody take comaquin as a phrophylaxis against malaria although we had taken atabrine or quinine yesterday. But it is a beautiful island. And the birds were in the forest which had no thick underbrush. I am told there were some hunters there a week ago. We should shoot the hunters instead as I had proclaimed Ursula island as a bird sanctuary in 1968. We must place notices in the island about this – the proclamation I mean.
I had been awakened at 4:15 AM by Imelda. We were back at the 777 by 7:30 AM and I was asleep at 8:30 AM. Woke up at 11:00 AM.
Arrived at Taganak at S:15 PM. The mayor led us to eight young turtles and two nests. We hunted around for the eggs with the aid of an iron prod with which you can feel the eggs like rubbery obstacles. Then we saw a giant mother turtle.
We have just had a discotheque with everybody in the weirdest clothing. This was organized by the children. The last piece was 17 minutes long and anybody who sat down before the end was considered ancient, the children proclaimed. The “olds” also had to keep on at it till the fatiguing end.
The sea is a little rough. The ship is pitching and yawing as we are in the Sulu Sea on the way to Sibuto where we hope to hunt boar before we go to General Santos and the Dole Pineapple plantation.