THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



altitude down to 1,000 feet, pass- 

 ing here and there scattered vil- 

 lages, scaring the water buffa- 

 loes, which would career off, 

 flashing across the paddy-fields 

 as fast as their bulk would allow. 



At last we reached Singora, 

 and a glance at the aerodrome 

 showed that at least half of it 

 was under water. There was, 

 however, a narrow strip along 

 the center which appeared more 

 or less dry, but I would have to 

 make a landing across wind. I 

 came down low to examine this 

 strip, and to my utter dismay no- 

 ticed that it was covered with 

 small tree-stumps ! 



A wide and anxious circling 

 around the aerodrome showed 

 me there was no other spot on 

 which to land ; so there was noth- 

 ing for it but to attempt to make 

 a landing on this narrow strip of 

 stump-studded ground. 



As we touched and ran along, 

 I expected every moment to feel 

 a jolt and the under-carriage 

 wrenched off, or else the ma- 

 chine thrown on to her nose ; 

 but by the merciful guidance 

 of Providence we miraculously 

 came to rest safely. 



The only damage sustained 

 was to our tail-skid, which had 

 caught in a stump and been 

 wrenched off. I walked back 

 along our tracks and found that 

 in several instances our wheels 

 had missed by a few inches 

 stumps a foot to eighteen inches 

 high. 



TH1< DltVIIv IN THE MACHINE 



The whole native population 

 assembled to see us. None had 

 ever seen an aeroplane before, 

 and at first they would not ven- 

 ture near. Three Englishmen 

 live at Singora, and one of them 

 had imposed upon the simple 

 native minds that the devil was 

 going to arrive in a flying char- 

 iot to take charge over all the 

 convicts there. When, however, 



