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National Geographic : 1936 Dec
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FLYING THE PACIFIC "PARDON ME, BUT MAY I CUT IN?" Even among the goonies of Midway Islands the eternal triangle appears! While two touch beaks in solemn bliss in the mincing measures of the mating dance, another fellow awaits his chance to steal the partner (page 689). we could see an American flag floating laz ily from a pole in the center of the build ings. White lines, apparently paths, could be seen amidst the foliage (page 695). The water in the lagoon was as clear as that at Midway and moored offshore were a sailboat and sea sled. A long ramp led from the shore out over the water to a landing barge. At the end of the walk on a pole was a wind sock, gently swaying in an indifferent breeze. From the sky Wake suggested a finished community-not a frontier town in the making. Was our mid-Pacific resort al ready an accomplished fact? Lower and slower we flew over the lagoon and now the little Hawaiian dynamiter was peering out the lounge windows intently. The Philippine Clipper turned, then slowly descended, slipping into the lagoon waters. We clambered out the afterhatch and, looking down into the clear blue-green water, could see the coral heads which were soon to be removed, mottled green and ugly. But our landing point had been carefully selected and not one of them was directly in our path as we taxied in. The air was that of the tropics-warm and pleasant. The sun was hot. White terns flew over the water and we could not help but call out at the beauty of their under-wings, a delicate blue and green. But the crew laughed at us. Terns, they said, are pure white or sooty. The blue under-wings and breasts we saw were a reflection of the waters of the lagoon (page 692). A FINISHED COMMUNITY OF SEVEN MONTHS We were nearing the barge now and a large man was standing talking to a smaller man dressed in uniform blue. He waved across the water to Captain Tilton and his big ruddy face creased into a smile. He was George W. Bicknell, in charge of Wake Island for Pan American Airways. He had come to the island with the SS. North Haven and was to return to the United States with us. The smaller chap was Hope Biggers, who had arrived at Wake on the China Clipper to relieve him. As we left the ship, greetings and intro ductions were made. Halfway down the 693
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