FROM LONDON TO AUSTRALIA BY AEROPLANE 



319 



Photograph from Henry Ruschin 



TEMPLE GROUNDS IN THE CAPITAL OF BALI, DUTCH EAST INDIES 



The Vimy skirted the coast of Bali at an elevation of 2,000 feet. Bali is the first island to 



the east of Java. 



they saw that four ordinary humans 

 climbed out of the machine, they quickly 

 surged around us. I noticed that they 

 were staring, arguing, and pointing at us 

 in a peculiar way; but it was not until I 

 heard of our friend's joke that I under- 

 stood the full significance of their inter- 

 est in us. 



Several of them walked in front of the 

 machine, flapping their arms and per- 

 forming birdlike evolutions. We con- 

 cluded that they were solving the mystery 

 of flight and demonstrating how the 

 Vimy flapped its wings to rise from the 

 ground. My brother, unobserved, climbed 

 into the cockpit and, seizing the control 

 column, vigorously moved it to and fro, 

 whicti caused the ailerons* and elevators 

 to flap :about. 



There was a wild scamper in all direc- 

 tions. •>•; We learned after.wards- that the 

 natives imagined that .weTwere flapping 

 our wings preparatory to^ starting off ! 



•;'.; A PETROL SHORTAGE 



My first inquiry was as to the quantity 

 of petrol available. I discovered that 



the supposed 500 gallons was only 500 

 liters, depoted there for Poulet. This 

 meant we would be compelled to remain 

 here until I could get sufficient petrol 

 from Penang or Bangkok to take us on 

 to Singapore. I accordingly sent off an 

 urgent wire to the Asiatic Petroleum 

 Company at Penang, asking them to send 

 me 200 gallons* of aviation petrol as 

 speedily as possible. 



I also wired the resident councilor at 

 Penang, asking him to assist, in the event 

 of there being difficulty in getting this 

 quantity of petrol shipped at such short 

 notice. I next requested the Governor 

 of Singora to have part of the aerodrome 

 cleared of stumps to enable us to take off. 



Our machine was left standing on the 

 strip of high ground and we pegged her 

 down securely for the night. 



Our next contract was to mend the tail- 

 skid. An examination showed that the 

 fitting which attaches it to the fuselage 

 had broken off. This meant at least six 

 hours' work, provided we could find the 



*Hinged portions 011 the ends of the wings 

 used for banking when turning. 



