was able to make its exhaustive surveys of the Parima River country of Brazil. Writing in this Magazine for April, 1926, Captain Albert W. Stevens, of the United States Army Air Service and a member of the Rice party, said:

"The upper Amazon Basin is one of the last of the world's blind spots to succumb to the persevering curiosity of the explorer. Where the untrodden jungle presented a matted and almost impenetrable wall to men on foot, it surrendered its secrets readily to men in the sky. Our hydroplane served as the eyes of the expedition."

Already, aviation has rendered singular service to the science of geography. By photographs taken from the air it is today not at all difficult to get a more accurate grasp of terrain, rivers, shorelines, and highways than could be imparted by drawn maps or word pictures, and in onetenth the time.

The Mexican-American Boundary Commission, for example, could really first see the great Colorado Delta problem as a whole by air pictures pieced together in mosaic form. In its aid and sponsoring of aviation, The Society has had constantly before it the value of air pictures

in surveying for railroad, highway, irrigation, forestry, harbor work, and other engineering enterprises.

MANY PHASES OF AVIATION COVERED BY THE GEOGRAPHIC

To inform its members and the public of the rapid progress of air travel and the huge importance of aviation to many angles of modern life, The Society is tireless in its efforts. It combs the earth for fresh facts and photographs. In January, 1926, The Magazine printed an absorbing story of the Air Mail, the service that developed Lindbergh. "Canada from the Air," published October, 1926, is proving one of the most popular articles ever printed in this Magazine.

In general, four phases of aviation have been dealt with:

First. The origin of aircraft.

Second. Growth of the science of aviation. This phase is discussed in such articles as "Man's Amazing Progress in Conquering the Air." July, 1924; the dirigible Shenandoah's 9.000-mile flight from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and return, in "Seeing America from the Shenandoah," January, 1925; Lieutenant John A. Macready's "The Non-Stop

Flight Across America," July, 1924, and the story of his altitude flights, in "Exploring the Earth's Stratosphere," December, 1926; and helium, the incombustible gas, in "Helium, the New Balloon Gas," May, 1919.

Third. The use of aircraft in war, commerce, and industry, dealt with particularly in such articles as General William Mitchell's "America in the Air: The Future of Airplane and Airship, Economically and as Factors in National Defense," March, 1921; the account of a 6,500-mile

tour

over commercial aviation routes abroad, in "Looking Down on Europe." by Lieutenant J. Parker Van Zandt, U. S. A., March, 1925; a discussion of the probable importance of polar routes, in Vilhjalmur Stefansson's "The Arctic as an Air Route of the Future," August, 1922; and in a discussion of Egypt as one of the most important air-traffic centers in the Eastern Hemisphere, in "Flying Over Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine," September, 1926.

Fourth. The use of aircraft in geographic exploration. This phase has been described and pictured in such articles as Captain St. Clair Streett's "The First

Alaskan Air Expedition," May, 1922; Commander Richard E. Byrd's story of his flights over Greenland and Ellesmere Island with the MacMillan Arctic Expedition of 1925, in "Flying Over the Arctic," November, 1925; and Commander MacMillan's own account of the expedition's work in "The MacMillan Arctic Expedition Returns," November, 1925.

COLONEL LINDBERGH AWARDED HUBBARD

MEDAL

When for example Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh made his world-acclaimed nonstop flight from New York to Paris, The Trustees, on behalf of The Society's 1,100,000 members, awarded to him its highest honor, the Hubbard Gold Medal.

As a tribute to his own aviation achievements, The Society designated Commander Richard E. Byrd to notify Colonel Lindbergh of this award, and the citation took place at the breakfast given in Lindbergh's honor by the National Aëronautic Association, in Washington, June 13.

In awarding this medal to Colonel Lindbergh, the following letter was addressed to him by the President of the National Geographic Society:

and looking forward with
pleasure to greeting you, I
am, very sincerely yours,
(Signed)

GILBERT GROSVENOR,
President.

To meet its members' ever-increasing demand for full details of all great air adventures and achievements, The Society will publish, in carly issues of its Magazine, various additional articles by world-famed flyers who have linked continents with paths through the air.

Sir Alan Cobham, famous British flyer, will write of his long air cruise from London to Australia, and his flight over Africa from the Cape to Cairo.

The American Army's "Good-Will Flight" to South America, a trip which took the Yankee flyers on an 18,000-mile swing around the southern continent, will be described by Major Herbert A. Dargue, U. S. A., who commanded this expedition.

June 9th, 1927.

MY DEAR COLONEL LINDBERGH:

The Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society extends to you the congratulations and good wishes of its one million one hundred thousand members throughout the Nation upon the heroic service to the science of aviation that you have contributed by your solitary flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927.

In recognition of this contribution to the science of aviation, the Hubbard Medal, the highest gift of the National Geographic Society, has been awarded you.

The bestowal of the Hubbard Medal has been made but seven times in the thirty-nine years of existence of this scientific and educational institution. The others who have been thus hon

ored by The Society are: Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary, Captain Roald Amundsen, Captain

Robert A. Bartlett, Dr. Grove Karl Gilbert, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, and Commander Richard E. Byrd, and on each occasion the presentation has been made by the President of the United States.

With renewed congratulations upon the signal service that you have rendered your country,

Colonel Francesco de Pinedo, intrepid Italian airman, who flew from Rome to China and back, and covered nearly 49,000 air miles in a flight from Italy to Brazil, up to North America and then back home, will tell in this Magazine the story of his adventures.

The 8,000-mile air voyage of the Norge from Rome up over the ice-top of the world to Alaska is described by General Umberto Nobile, designer and pilot of this airship, in this issue.

Commander Byrd will write for The Society's journal the dramatic account of his European flight and tell in his own modest way the story of the air journey of himself and associates. All these articles will be richly illustrated by aërial and other illustrations taken along the great lines of international air commerce.

GILBERT GROSVENOR, President JOHN OLIVER LA GORCE, Vice-President JOHN JOY EDSON, Treasurer HERBERT A. POOLE, Assistant Treasurer

use,

ARTICLES and photographs are desired. For material which the Magazine can generous remuneration is made. Contributions should be accompanied by an addressed return envelope and postage.

IMMEDIATELY after the terrific eruption of the world's largest crater, Mt. Katmai, in Alaska, a National Geographic Society expedition was sent to make observations of this remarkable phenomenon. Four expeditions have followed and the extraordinary scientific data resulting given to the world. In this vicinity an eighth wonder of the world was discovered and explored-"The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes," a vast area of steaming, spouting fissures. As a result of The Society's discoveries this area has been created a National Monument by proclamation of the President of the United States.

AT an expense of over $50,000 The Society sent a notable series of expeditions into Peru to investigate the traces of the Inca race. Their

discoveries form a large share of our knowledge of a civilization waning when Pizarro first set foot in Peru. THE Society also had the honor of subscribing a substantial sum to the expedition of Admiral Peary, who discovered the North Pole. NOT long ago The Society granted $25,000, and in addition $75,000 was given by individual members to the Government when the congressional appropriation for the purpose was insufficient, and the finest of the giant sequoia trees of California were thereby saved for the American people.

THE Society is conducting extensive explorations and excavations in northwestern New Mexico, which was one of the most densely populated areas in North America before Columbus came, region where prehistoric peoples lived in vast communal dwellings and whose customs, ceremonies, and name have been engulfed in an oblivion.

a

TO further the important study of solar radiation in relation to long-range weather forecastings, The Society has appropriated $60,000 to enable the Smithsonian Institution to establish a station for four years on Mt. Brukkaros, in Southwest Africa.