3 



but with a most tremendous splash • As soon as the pas- 

 sengers had climbed out the top and across to the land- 

 ing, a swarm of mechanics with huge tins of fuel began 

 to bustle all over the outside of the plane. The air- 

 port had several breezy open rooms, and a carefully 

 locked street door. 77e could see Gienfuegos through the 

 ■windows , and across the crater from the landing. Sent a 

 card to Lucy, and in a few minutes the gong called us 

 out to climb down inside the plane, and we roared out 

 into the harbor and up into the air. The steward brought 

 us square open boxes of lunch, one at a time as he ar- 

 ranged them hot bouillon, sandwiches, boiled egg, 



cold chicken, fruit cup and cake. There was more of the 

 play of color on the water, but no boats; we saw almost 

 no sign of shipping from the time we were out of sight of 

 Florida. 



Just a tiny corner of Jamaica could be seen before the 

 steward came around and fitted a big black disk into each 

 window ( !f In cooperation with the British Government 11 ) . 

 We rocked and plunged to the water, seeing nothing . The 

 airport was breesy, but much hotter than Gienfuegos. 

 Nothing was to be seen on the water in that far corner of 

 the harbor, and nothing on land behind the airport, ex- 

 cept the high wire fence and the thick jungle of dark 

 green trees behind it. A hostess was waiting , with a 

 tray of Planter x s Punches and lemonade to offer the pas- 

 senders; she proved to be Madeleine Hodge who knows !!rs. 

 Wooler and Mrs. Dignum and had news of them. 



Disks were still in the windows as we took off, and 

 were not removed until we were out of sight of Jamaica. 

 The sun was hot, and the straight-backed seats seemed to 

 get stiffer. The steward's cup of chilled fruit- juice 

 made us all feel better. We were due in Barranquilla at 

 five, and were only a little late in spite of the delays 

 at T o.ami, and the long wide detour inland before we fi- 

 nally came down in the landlocked waters of the Barran- 

 quilla airport. We climbed stiffly out, gave up our 

 passports as we stepped to the landing, and were mar- 

 shalled around the edge of the water and across the ter- 

 race waiting room. In the entrance to the airport office 

 two small dark officials sat at two little tables to 

 inspect papers, and each passenger had to be passed by 

 both. At the long baggage counter we met the TJ. S« Vice 

 Consul Henry Dearborn (from Andover) , who was looking for 

 us. He put our baggage through without inspection, and 

 drove us in his car to the hotel, El Prado. Our room 

 opened from an out-door corridor, and had trade-wind gales 

 blowing through the windows on opposite walls , just as 

 described in Kathleen Romoli^s book. On the lobby ter- 

 race we sat down for awhile with !fr* Hoover, then went 

 to the dining-room with Mr. Dearborn and dined at his 



