GEOGRAPHIC ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS SIXTEENTH AND M STREETS NORTHWEST, WASHINGTON, D. C. ORGANIZED FOR "THE INCREASE AND DIFFUSION OF GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE" TO carry out the purposes for which it was founded forty years ago the National Geographic Society publishes this Magazine. All receipts are invested in the Magazine itself or expended directly to promote geographic knowledge. 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, a region where prehistoric peoples lived in vast communal dwellings and whose customs, ceremonies, and name have been engulfed in an oblivion. 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. Copyright, 1928, by National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., in the United States and Great Britain. All rights reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Washington, D. C., as Second-Class Mail Matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Sec. 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 1, 1918. THE COPYRIGHT. 1928. BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. WASHINGTON D. C.. IN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN TO BOGOTÁ AND BACK BY AIR The Narrative of a 9,500-Mile Flight from Washington, Over Thirteen Latin-American Countries and Return, in the Single-Seater Airplane "Spirit of St. Louis" T BY COL. CHARLES A. LINDBERGH HUBBARD GOLD MEDALIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY HE modern airplane brings the remotest corner of the known world within a few hours of a metropolis. It makes every spot on this planet accessible to man. Our We can fly in comfort over the ice fields of the Arctic or above equatorial jungles. It is no longer necessary to remain close to a base and corps of mechanics. Our planes to-day will travel for thousands of miles with reasonable attention and carry passengers for but little more than the cost of rail transportation. In countries where few railroads exist. the airplane is the only feasible means of travel over long distances. The Spirit of St. Louis had covered only a little over thirty thousand miles at the end of its tour of the United States.* The plane was practically new and its engine was capable of many more hours of flying. THE START FROM BOLLING FIELD I always had a desire to fly in the Tropics; also, I was particularly interested in the feasibility of Pan American airlines; consequently, when I received an invitation from the President of Mexico to visit *See "Seeing America With Lindbergh," by Lieut. Donald E. Keyhoe, in the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE for January, 1928. his country, it required less than a week to complete my preparation for the flight. The tail skid cut through the mud on Bolling Field for nearly 2,000 feet and the wheels ran along for another thousand before the Spirit of St. Louis lifted, hopped over the puddles and into the air. Thus, shortly after noon on December 13, 1927, began my flight from Washington to Mexico, to Central America, and home through South America and over the Caribbean (see map, page 532). Fog, clouds, and rain were all ahead. I had cloudy weather all the way to the Carolina mountains, where darkness began to fall. Up to midnight I saw no moon. All night the sky was overcast, with frequent rains. Occasionally I could make out lights on the ground, but seldom could I see any horizon. This made instrument flying necessary. I had never done so much of it before. even on the flight to Paris. By instrument flying I mean the use of instruments in the dark to keep the plane level and on its course. FLYING LESS THAN 100 FEET ABOVE THE WHITE LINE OF SURF As the sun went down I laid a course for the Gulf which, with the aid of an 530 COLONEL LINDBERGH IN HIS PLANE, READY FOR THE LONG NONSTOP FLIGHT FROM THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE As soon as the aviator had taken off from mud-soaked Bolling Field, expert photographers in a fast Army plane were supposed to follow and take-off that the pursuing photographers in the air, although he was followed far below Alexandria, Va. earth inductor compass, I hit fairly close to the point plotted on my map. On the Gulf coast I struck more fog; so I had to come board. One of the odd things about this flight was the length of night. On my flight to France I had only about five dark hours, because I flew from west to east, against the sun and north of 50° north latitude; but on this flight the direction was slightly west and in southern latitudes, where the nights are long; so I had thirteen hours and thirty minutes of darkness. I recognized Tampico, near the east coast of Mexico, by its oil tanks. There was a heavy fog and I came down within 50 feet of the Pánuco River. The fog was so low I could not stay under it, so I climbed again and set a compass course for Mexico City. LOST IN MEXICO A thousand feet up I got over the clouds, and less than two hours later had passed the first mountains. I crossed a railroad and a small town. It was at this point that I made an important error in navigation by mistaking my position as south of my course, whereas it was actually north. Consequently I changed course in the wrong direction and greatly increased my THE FAREWELL GLIMPSE OF WASHINGTON AS THE LATIN-AMERICAN FLIGHT BEGAN In the right foreground is Bolling Field, at Washington. To the left, at the river's edge, is the United States Naval Air Station, opposite which, |