﻿518 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

  

  TYPICAL 
  NORTHERN 
  APBpRTA 
  LANDSCAPE:, 
  WEST 
  OP 
  EDMONTON 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  foreground 
  is 
  wooded 
  marshland. 
  In 
  the 
  middle 
  distance 
  meanders 
  a 
  serpentine 
  

   wheat-field 
  which 
  follows 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  fertile 
  land. 
  In 
  the 
  background 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  

   symmetrical 
  field. 
  

  

  that 
  were 
  being 
  prepared 
  for 
  us 
  in 
  towns 
  

   ahead 
  that 
  had 
  never 
  seen 
  an 
  airplane. 
  

  

  We 
  procured 
  heavy 
  blankets 
  for 
  the 
  

   cold 
  nights 
  that 
  might 
  be 
  spent 
  among 
  the 
  

   snows 
  of 
  the 
  Rockies. 
  Heavy 
  clothing, 
  

   food, 
  and 
  ammunition 
  were 
  likewise 
  pur- 
  

   chased. 
  We 
  interviewed 
  train 
  dispatchers 
  

   to 
  get 
  weather 
  reports 
  from 
  stations 
  along 
  

   the 
  line. 
  This 
  information 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  

   be 
  more 
  reliable 
  than 
  that 
  from 
  any 
  other 
  

   source. 
  

  

  TURNING 
  BACK 
  POR 
  THE 
  PIRST 
  TIME 
  

  

  After 
  four 
  days' 
  hard 
  work 
  on 
  our 
  

   machines, 
  we 
  bade 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  Edmon- 
  

   ton 
  good-by 
  and 
  set 
  off 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  

   July 
  31 
  for 
  the 
  flight 
  to 
  Jasper, 
  our 
  stock 
  

   of 
  supplies 
  adding 
  considerable 
  weight 
  to 
  

   our 
  load. 
  

  

  The 
  weather 
  was 
  misty 
  and 
  forbidding. 
  

   The 
  ground 
  beneath 
  our 
  wings 
  looked 
  

   inhospitable 
  indeed. 
  Not 
  a 
  square 
  inch 
  

   of 
  open 
  space 
  appeared 
  in 
  which 
  to 
  land 
  

   in 
  the 
  event 
  of 
  motor 
  failure. 
  

  

  To 
  add 
  to 
  my 
  apprehension, 
  clouds 
  

   through 
  which 
  we 
  must 
  pass 
  hung 
  low 
  

   over 
  the 
  Pembina 
  River; 
  and 
  a 
  mountain 
  

   range 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  of 
  these 
  

   clouds, 
  if 
  not 
  actually 
  immersed 
  in 
  them. 
  

  

  We 
  deemed 
  it 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  wisdom 
  to 
  go 
  

   back 
  to 
  Edmonton. 
  

  

  Reluctantly 
  signaling 
  the 
  others 
  to 
  turn, 
  

   we 
  took 
  back-track 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  on 
  

   our 
  expedition 
  since 
  leaving 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  Upon 
  reaching 
  Edmonton, 
  I 
  communi- 
  

   cated 
  with 
  Jasper 
  and 
  found 
  the 
  weather 
  

   was 
  clear 
  there, 
  though 
  at 
  Edson, 
  half 
  

   way 
  from 
  Edmonton, 
  fog 
  and 
  low 
  clouds 
  

  

  