Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-03

S1f JOOn BURTON, me BritIsE COVER
nor general. and everybody In Belize.
including band, WIS apparently out
to sec the takc-OT The crowd was
considerably larger than the one that
turned out when landed there. Per.
feet order was maintained, however,
every one standing right In his place.
for which i am very grateful. 1t was
a pronounced example OF the British
observance OF rules.
There was cross wind from the
Gulf blowing across the field. though
IL was not very strong. The polo
ground at Belize, which ig smaller than
such grounds usually are. forms a
slightly curved area-shaped some
thing like cows horn-with the sea
| fringed by marsh grass on the east
side. with buildings all around the
other sides and telegraph line on
| the west side.
The plane stood in front OF the
grandstand at the southwest corner
where the field is widest-S0yards-
| lowing 200 yards TO where the field
which there In about so yards wide
curved into the sea. About 8 yards be-
| yond stands n pier with low buildings.
just in the line Of flight. To the left
the Held tapers down to a point
took off In the opposite direction
to that in which landed ont the curved
course. The field Is level and hard
enough and Is walled off just before
reaching the point where II drops off
into me soa. 7 then rose out over the
water. which was only few feet be
low. and climbed over the pier, which
runs parallel.
Sets His Course.
circled over the field and the City
of Belize and then set my course 1875
degrees south. Is degrees west. which
brought me without deviation TO San
Salvador. The rough air en- route
juggled the magnetic compass. and
without the earth inductor compass by
which I navigated 1t would have been
impossible to fly the course go truly.
took OFF with about 100 gallons
and arrived with approximately 10
enough to have reached Panama. The
motor was in perfect condition. both
before and after the flight.
The fact that ] spent a couple OF
hours Saturday In Belize. draining
the carbureter in order to make sure
there was no water in II. seems to
have started a rumor that there was
something wrong with the motor and
that the tour would be delayed. 1
understand it was even said that q
special mechanic had been sent for
from the United States. Such rumors
seem to start whenever I check over
the motor. This rumor as usual was
groundless. The motor was absolute
~ all right and didn't even find any
water in the traps.
After leaving Belize. the course took
me close enough to the coastline to
see the gulf until I entered Guate-
mala, although the sea was haZy at
times. The scenery was very strange.
There was dense green jungle cover
ing the low lands beneath me. with
the gulf dotted with tiny keys cover.
ed with mangrove swamps and palm
trees standing out OF their edges over
the sea like green balls on pole.
Climbs Over Clouds.
The sky, which was clear when l
cast. and / had to climb over the
clouds in order TO clear the mount.
aims. The clouds. however. were
broken with holes now and then
where I could see the land. On the
south side Of the mountains. the
clouds disappeared aud the visibility
remained excellent all the way 10 San
salvador.
The area over which I few was
somewhat more inhabited than In
Guatemala on the way TO BehEe.
though IL could hardly be called thick
~ settled. After crossing the frontier
into Salvador the land at once became
more populated. In the mountains
saw now and then a little grass-thatch-
cd hut apparently lost in the forest.
fer there was no sign of a road or
trail near 10. Around each hut would
be about an acre of cultivated ground.
am told the Indians who tuhaoit
these huts grow the corn around them
Ia make tortillas. which form their
| chief dish.
In Belize / was struck by the fact
that number of the houses. no mat
ter how poor they may look outside.
have MAHOGANY floors and that ma.
hogany Is put to the eommoneSt kind
OF uses Belize. of course. is the prin.
eipal city of the country from which
much OF our mahogany comes.
saw only few volcanoes and did
not pass near any. I passed near the
town of santa Rosa and at the right
of Chalatenango. In salvador saw
many fields OF sugar cane and other
crops. the country appearing pros
porous.
The jungle looks very wild. with no
place To land. did see. however.
three or four places later In the noun.
tains where could land.
Leaves Honduras.
After passing west Of Sc. Ann Creek
I left British Honduras. crossed the
Gulf OF Amatiuue, and few between
Livingston and Puerto Barrios. but
closer to the former. The iowianis
here were covered for miles with the
dark green foliage OF banana plan,a.
tons.
While over the icwhnds few at
an altitude of about 1000 feet. |
began In enter the mountains soon
after passing Livingston and few at
an altitude of about 5000 feet, he.
yond Livingston ! was surprised 10
see what appeared 10 be a big sold
dredge which had cut trough.
understand there are old sold work.
inss there.
The mountains were extremely
broken. with almost labyrinth az
ridges and deep canyons The valleys
were mostly rlled with fog or low
clouds, Every day have flown since
leaving Mexico have met fog,
especlally In the valleys.
The map ny which few was
small scale map Of all Central
America. an which Salvador could be
covered with two fingers. The din
Guilty Of nying In these REGIONS il
that there are next 10 No land marks
for guidance, knew | was near
San salvador, however, when l picked
ur land. u OF 10 miles east ef the
city.
Then ! few over the city and
landed, saw near the city one
Salva,toran plane which had taken OF
To escort me, hut apparently did not
see me, appreciate frum experience
how diitiCuN IL Is to meet another
plane when uncertain from where IL
Ii rN.n,ns, and IL ~ not SURPRISING
that the escort did not succeed ia
picking me w