﻿THE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAN 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  515 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

  

  THE 
  BIvACK 
  HIGHWAY 
  MARKS 
  THE 
  BOUNDARY 
  EINE 
  BETWEEN 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  

   AND 
  CANADA 
  AT 
  PORTAE, 
  NORTH 
  DAKOTA 
  

  

  Note 
  the 
  shadow 
  cast 
  upon 
  the 
  ground 
  by 
  the 
  airplane 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  photograph 
  was 
  made. 
  

  

  40 
  miles 
  distant. 
  We 
  snapped 
  photo- 
  

   graphs 
  of 
  the 
  town 
  and 
  the 
  landing 
  field 
  

   before 
  we 
  landed. 
  A 
  large 
  white 
  sign 
  

   spelling 
  W 
  - 
  E 
  - 
  L 
  - 
  C 
  - 
  O 
  - 
  M 
  - 
  E, 
  near 
  

   the 
  hangar 
  on 
  the 
  airdrome, 
  spoke 
  cor- 
  

   dially 
  to 
  us 
  and 
  gave 
  us 
  our 
  first 
  intima- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  exceptional 
  courtesies 
  we 
  were 
  

   to 
  receive 
  from 
  our 
  Canadian 
  cousins. 
  

   We 
  were 
  met 
  by 
  the 
  mayor, 
  the 
  city 
  

   fathers, 
  and 
  by 
  many 
  others, 
  and 
  were 
  

   welcomed 
  warmly. 
  We 
  were 
  officially 
  

   given 
  the 
  freedom 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  and 
  were 
  

   extended 
  every 
  possible 
  courtesy. 
  

  

  At 
  first 
  the 
  crowds 
  were 
  given 
  permis- 
  

   sion 
  to 
  inspect 
  our 
  airplanes. 
  They 
  had 
  

  

  never 
  seen 
  machines 
  of 
  this 
  type, 
  and 
  

   when 
  they 
  were 
  told 
  that 
  these 
  were 
  the 
  

   same 
  airplanes 
  we 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  war, 
  they 
  

   were 
  greatly 
  interested 
  and 
  examined 
  

   them 
  curiously. 
  But 
  the 
  crowd 
  became 
  

   so 
  densely 
  packed 
  about 
  us 
  that 
  we 
  could 
  

   not 
  proceed 
  with 
  our 
  work. 
  We 
  reluct- 
  

   antly 
  asked 
  the 
  chief 
  of 
  police 
  to 
  clear 
  the 
  

   field. 
  This 
  being 
  done, 
  we 
  quickly 
  fin- 
  

   ished 
  refueling, 
  and 
  at 
  5 
  130 
  were 
  ready 
  to 
  

   accompany 
  the 
  Saskatoon 
  delegations 
  to 
  

   the 
  city. 
  On 
  this 
  first 
  flight 
  into 
  Canada 
  

   we 
  had 
  spent 
  four 
  hours 
  and 
  fifteen 
  min- 
  

   utes 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  

  

  The 
  mayor 
  had 
  procured 
  rooms 
  for 
  us 
  

  

  