AN AEROPLANE'S HALT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19999, 16 July 1928, Page 11

AN AEROPLANE'S HALT.

" HITCHED TO THE MOON." STORY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith has bean credited with hitching his monoplane not to a star but to the moon. There are some hundreds of natives in the islands of the Lomaiviti Province, adjoining Suva, who are firmly convinced that this strange feat was actually accomplished by Kingsford Smith. According to a story in tho Polynesian Gazette, a European trader on Juno 3 told the natives that the great monoplane would be passing over their island on its way from Honolulu to Suva, and asked them to keep a close watch for it, and to let him know when they sighted it. The following morning the trader was surprised to sec a great number of natives coming toward his residence with the most serious expressions on their countenances. The leading native, after some parley, was induced to tell what was troubling them. Ho said: "My word Turaga (native for boss) we did see tho aeroplane last night. It was a wonderful sight. Did you sec it too?" Tho trader replied that he did not, and became very angry with (lie natives for not calLing him. "We should have called you, Turaga," the loader proceeded, "but we wore too excited. We wero so surprised, that we forgot all about calling you. It was wonderful to see the aeroplane resting over our island. We all saw it resting. He must have been too early so ho stayed somo time over our island." It was the trader's turn to become amazed and excited, and bq berated the natives soundly for fooling him with the story of the machine resting over the island.

"Yes, Turaga, lio rested over our island," said tho spokesman, "and I'll tell you how he did it. Finding that ho was ahead of time, he decided to have a rest and went up to the moon and hooked tho aeroplane there. Wo saw him hook it there with hig hooks, and he remained there over an hour. Turaga, wo saw him do it and remain there, true." Tho trader was puzzled for an explanation of the belief of the natives, but looking over somo papers from other centres, ho saw that there was an eclipse due about tho hour tho natives believed they saw the aeroplane go up to the moon. Ho sent for tho natives and triod to explain to them that it was not tho aeroplane that blotted out the moon, but the eclipse, but the natives still adhered to tho belief that it was tho aeroplane. Later the trader had a splendid view of the Southern Cross passing over the island, but tho natives persisted that it was going from tho moon to Suva.