January 18, 1944

                                                            Jan. 18
Dear Folks:
            Still here. We went to [censored] to-day. The population is largely negro and speak English. By our standards things are filthy but they seem content with it. The kids follow us around in bunches asking for pennies. The whites and many negroes ride bicycles.
            We rented bicycles for 12¢ an hour and rode around the town. There are also some small English cars which looked like a cross between an Austin and a Ford. The steering gear is on the right and all traffic is on the left. They also drive some miniature donkeys which are about the size of a 4 months old calf. They are light grey in color.
            The kids all say “Hi, Joe. Got a penny?”
            The ants are plenty thick here. All native houses and the barracks on the post are built on stilts. The jungle comes right up to the edge of the field and it is impossible to walk thru it. There are birds and animals here that I have never heard of. Some of the G.I.s on the field have the animals for pets. Several have “Spider” monkeys which are about the size of a cat and have a fuzzy tail 18″ long. The boys tie strings around the monkeys middle and carry it on their shoulders. About the cutest one is the Honey bear. It is brown and about twice as large as a cat. It has a long nose like a razor-back hog and lives on insects. They are also very fond of candy and will dig it out of your pocket. The boys have a pair of them in the hangar and they have the run of the place. Their names are Eleanor and Oscar.
            There is some hard wood in the jungle that won’t even float. Guess thats all for now.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
How long did this take to get thru?