AERONAUTICS: England to Australia

It was a holiday in Port Darwin, Australia. Bunting fluttered in the streets. August sunshine beat down on the white-powdered road out to Mindil Beach, where the Timor Sea lay breathless blue under an offshore breeze. Soon after breakfast time, the beachward procession began—Port Darwin merchants cool in their white ducks; bronzed " 'roos" ("Kangaroos," i.e. Australians) from the cattle country; darker aborigines shuffling along in silent excitement; cooing Chinese in bright pajamas. They watched the horizon all morning. Some had gone home for midday tiffin, but most remained, chattering, scanning, pondering, when...