FROM LOXDOX TO AUSTRALIA BY AEROPLANE 



307 



I had originally intended flying from 

 Calcutta to Rangoon race-course in one 

 flight, but as the next day, November 29, 

 was a Saturday, and I was informed that 

 a race meeting would be held at Rangoon 

 on that day, I decided to stop at Akyab. 



We were now passing above a dreaded 

 span of country, the sundarbans, where 

 engine trouble would have meant the un- 

 doing of all our efforts and labor. The 

 mouth of the Ganges here frays out into 

 a network of streams, producing a jig- 

 saw of innumerable islets and swamps. 

 We breathed much more freely after we 

 had reached Chittagong, a place I had 

 reason to remember well, through hav- 

 ing spent four days there the previous 

 year, when our ship caught fire and was 

 blown up (see page 230). 



From Chittagong we followed the 

 coast - line of Burma, and eventually 

 reached Akyab. My brother peered over 

 the side as we circled above the aero- 

 drome and showed symptoms of great 

 excitement, while Bennett and Shiers 

 waved joyfully from their cockpit and 

 pointed down to the ground. They indi- 

 cated a small machine near the center of 

 the field. It was Poulet ! 



V. Through Cloud and Monsoon to 



SlNGORA 



Poulet was the first to greet us on land- 

 ing. He came forward with a cheery 

 smile and outstretched hand — a true 

 sportsman, the hero of a gallant and dar- 

 ing enterprise. I was deeply interested 

 in inspecting Poulet's machine, which 

 was drawn up alongside the Vimy. In 

 proportion, the contrast was reminiscent 

 of an eagle and a sparrow. The Vimy 

 towered above the tiny Caudron, which 

 appeared altogether too frail and quite 

 unsuited for the hazardous task these two 

 courageous fellows had embarked upon. 

 I had a long talk with Poulet and his me- 

 chanic, Benoist ; they made fun of their 

 adventures and intimated that theirs was 

 a novel and exciting method of touring 

 the globe. 



We agreed to fly on together the next 

 day to Rangoon, but when morning ar- 

 rived, as we still had some work to com- 

 plete on the machine, Poulet set oft', and 

 bv the time we were ready he had an 



hour's lead. Xo aeroplane had ever 

 landed at Rangoon before, and naturally 

 I was very keen to win the honor for the 

 Yimy. For the first 100 miles I followed 

 the coast-line southward and did not ob- 

 serve a single landing place in case of 

 necessity. The coast, for the most part, 

 fringes out into vast mangrove swamps, 

 while farther inland the country becomes 

 mountainous, with rice-fields checkering 

 the valleys and every available irrigable 

 area. The hills are densely wooded and 

 very rugged. 



Flying east, we crossed a low moun- 

 tain chain, and on the other side found 

 the Irrawaddy River. We followed down 

 its course as far as Prome. From here 

 the railroad guided us on to Rangoon. I 

 had no difficulty in locating the landing 

 ground — the race-course, a green patch 

 framed by a compact ring of cheering 

 humanity. 



THE RACE TO RAXGOOX 



We came to earth midst tempestuous 

 cheering, and were welcomed bv the 

 Lieutenant - Governor of Burma, Sir 

 Reginald Craddock, and Lady Craddock. 

 We were told that no race meeting had 

 been so well attended as the present, nor 

 had the betting been so widespread. The 

 multitudes had massed to witness two 

 aeroplanes racing half-way across the 

 globe. To them the race was more than 

 novel : it was a great event in their lives. 

 for few indeed of the vast assemblage 

 had ever seen an aeroplane. 



As flying conditions from Akyab had 

 been boisterous, we in our high-powered 

 machine had a great advantage over 

 Poulet, and in spite of the hour's handi- 

 cap at the outset, we succeeded in reach- 

 ing Rangoon an hour ahead of him. 

 Poulet's arrival was the signal for an- 

 other burst of cheering, and he was wel- 

 comed no less warmly than ourselves. 



The police experienced great difficulty 

 in clearing the race-course that evening, 

 as many of the natives had brought their 

 food and beds, intent on holding a festi- 

 val for the duration of our stay. I was 

 told that when the first news of our de- 

 parture from London appeared in the 

 local papers, and the fact that we in- 

 tended calling at Rangoon became known, 

 a large crowd of natives straightway ;.-- 



