Canton Island

Out through the damn front around Palmyra this morning – on instruments again. Altitude 150 ft, visibility zero, and a couple of planes somewhere up ahead. Enough to make your hair turn gray. Due South till we picked up fairer weather, then S.E. to Canton. Over the equator at 1035.

Canton is a large atoll, with the usual central lagoon loaded with coral headers. Only one tree on the whole island. My Kaneohe friend, O’Connor, picked us up and took us all for a swim in the lagoon, a’la natural. Wonderful swimming!

We are quartered at the Waldorf Hotel, next door to the Astor Hotel. Five cots to a room. Four rooms to the hotel, no bath or toilet — those are across the street. No blackout. Open-air movies — three of them!