THE ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 238, 15 November 1940, Page 7

THE ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

What ho, what ho, ma hea.rti.es. Here we are in the little town Barranquilla on the coast of Columbia, and facing the Gulf of Darien. We have already traversed the funny little country of Ecuador and have arrived here in the teeming ruin. I have already booked rooms at the town's best hotel where from the roof garden on the top you can see a great stretch of the Caribbean Sea. That is one of the reasons why 1 want you to listen to me as I tell Jfcou some strange tales, of the CaribSit all around me for a moment and listen to a story of pirates, buried treasure and daring • deeds. You know it was not so very long agq that the sea Ave are looking at used to be the haunt of very bad men. Good sailors, thej' were but they were hard, cruel and merciless. They robbed and plundered the defenceless merchant ships which traded with the new world and put their crews to death in a very cruel manner. The hundreds of islands in the sea made natural bases for these buccaneers as they were called and it was very difficult for the man-o-war ships which were sent out to light thciu, to discover just where they were. The British Island of Jamaica was overrun . with these bad men as were jnost of the "West Indies, Cuba, San Domingo,, the Bahamas, the Barbados, Trinadad and Grenada. Lots of the priates were British sailors, who tired of the harsh life at sea decided to get an easy living by plundering. But the pirates on the /whole were from all the nations on earth. All. the worst men seemed, to join them and the Caribbean sea was the scene of their wicked deeds. There were hundreds of their ships and it took over a hundred years to finally wipe them out and subdue their leaders. Now the Islands of the Caribbean are safe for travellers and their rich soil makes them very prosperous. They are perhaps the most beautiful islands in the -world. P.T.W. OUR STORY •CONQUERORS OF THE AIR "England to Russia in a balloon!" Jack almost inereduotisly, "I never dreampd balloons could travel as far as that." "And with no means of steering them," added Dick. "They might have been blown up to Iceland!" Dr Hamilton smiled. "Yes, the chief trouble up to that time was that the balloon could not be steered. This drawback was early realised and now, having perfected the original craft somewhat, men turned their efforts toward constructing dirigibles. "According to early records, the first dirigible was actually produced In 1784, by the lirothers Robert, working under the direction of the Duke of Chartes. In the next hundred. years, however, very little advance seems to have been made. Then things began to happen.. "In 1852, GifTard, a noted French engineer, built the first cigar-shap-ed balloon;, driven by a steam cn-"-JLgine, and steered by means"of a rud ler placed in the sitern. A short - after this electricity came to )*ie lore, and it occurred to two Other Frenchmen that if an efficient electric motor could be applied to an airship of the Gitfard design, the problem of the dirigible might be solved. And solved it was to a large extent, for in 1881, these . two clever inventors made a wonderful flight, attaining what wu'j then the remarkable speed of li miles nn hour, and displaying nn astonishing control over their seemingly unwieldy craft. In the year that followed other improvements were made, and it is to the determination and dogged courage of the German, Count Zeppelin, that the dirigible owes it:, continued successful existence." "And now we come to the air- ' plane era which brought to boiiiim point the long simmering controversy regarding the heavier-than-air machine. While Europe in ijarti-

'lAboard for the Goodwill Cruise . # =r PETER THE WHALER U of WHALE ISLAND

cular. and Lhe civilised world in general, were waxing eloquent over the possibilities and impossibilities of such machines, two American brothers were quietly at work. First the}' experimented with huge kites, then with a man-carrying glider, and lastly with a small motor-driv-en airplane. T suppose you all know their name?" "The Wright Brothers!" "chorused the group in unision. "Correct. On a day in December 1903, one of these brothers, Orvill'e Wright, took the air in one of the much-criticised machines and actually managed to keep afloat for exactly twelve seconds. Not a grqfatbeginning, perhaps, but history was being macle that day at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and from that tiny hop oceans were to be bridged and time and space conquered. ."But, strange to say, that great new country which has led the world so often in things mechanical, was reluctant to acknowledge this new marvel,, and the Wright brothers turned to France, that enthusiastic home of aircraft, for support." WASHING DAY On washing day when Mummy hang-: Her clothes out on the line. She leaves a little room for me, So 1 can peg out mine. My dolly's little socks and shoes Get awfully dirty,'too. My mummy lets me use her soap And just a little blue. I put them through the wringer I can't get GoJly's pants quite clean No matter how I try! But I don't mind the because You see I love him so. Margaret Grant. A BALL GAME This ball game can be played by two or more players. Find an old cake tin, or cardboard box, and make a hole about two inches from the top. Put a piece of string through the hole and tic the box to a nail in'a wall. The nail should be about four feet from the ground. On the ground below the box draw a large semi-circle with white chalk. If you cannot find a small bat, cut one from a piece of strong cardboard or wood, and get ready to play the game. In turn, each player stands two feet from the semi-circle and this the ball against the wall above the box or tin. If the ball drops outside the semi-circle., the player must hand the bat and ball to the next player. If the ball falls into the semi-circle, the player can hit again with the idea of getting the ball into the box or tin. If the ball falls into the box, the player scores live points. The one who scores 20 poinls first wins the game. JOKE CORNER Doctor: Well,. Mr Jones, and how are you feeling to-dav after that overdose of Christmas pudding? Jones (dejectedly): I'm feeling no better, doctor. Doctor: Dear me, that's a pity. Did you follow my instructions and take the medicine two night's running and skip the next? Jones: I did sir. I 1 found it a bit difficult to swallow the. medicine running, but I managed it. But that skipping last night has completely done me in, doctor. m * <p m "Now, boys," said the teacher, "tell me the signs of the zodiac. You first, Thomas.'' "Taurus, the Bull." "Right! Now you Harold, another one." "Cancer, the Crab." "■Right again. And now it's yonturn, Albert." The boy looked puzzled, hesitated a moment and then blurted cmA "Mickey, the Mouse."

LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION WHERE ARE THE POET'S? I have tried to discover the poets in our crew. Well, I wasn't very successful but as only four camc in I am awarding them all free picture tickets (cheers),, as they were all so good. Here they are Avith their own entries: — When I grow up to be a man, T'll be a poet if I can: But to write a verse .just now, Brings lots of wrinkles to my brow. Charlie Aimer. (Bravo lad) 4 Peter the Whaler is a very good sailor, And o'er the seas he does roam. His juvenile crew, are fond of the blue, But always enjoy coming home. Janette McLeod. On cleaning day Ave like to play, That our house is a 'gvm.' We sweep and dust the way wc must To keep things nice and trim. But Ave don't call itAVork at all Oh, no,, we're far too Avise. We laugh and sing at everything And call it exercise. Donald McKenzie. When Pamela listens This is AA r hat f.he hear?;—. Two baby thrushes. The little dears. When Pamela looks This is Avhat she sees Some pretty lowers,, and . the green trees. Lan McKenzic. NEXT WEEK S COMPETITION THE BEST JOKE Here's a competition for humourists. Now Avhat you have to do is to find a good joke, your very best one, and write it down on a piece of paper. Send it into me and the three best Avill Avin free picture tickets Avitli my compliments. Now gi\*e me some real good laughs, Avon't you. Yours till next week Peter the Whaler. CRADLE SONG The Little Folk arc coming, Lullaby, aroon. The wings against the window Are darkening the moon. Little feet are dancing. Hushabyc, asthore. Through the misty moonbeam That lies upon the floor. Little hands to hold you, To guard you, and to keep. Lullaby, mavourneen. Hush., and go to sleep,