FROM LONDON TO AUSTRALIA BY AEROPLANE 



329 



© Photograph by F. Birtles 



WHITE-ANT BEDS OE NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA 



When a split propeller blade necessitated a forced landing in northern Australia, some of 

 these large ant-hills provided the material for an improvised roadway to enable the Vimy to 

 '"take-off" after repairs had been made. 



good-bye, and, just twenty-four hours 

 after our arrival at Soerabaya, made a 

 sensational take-off, with the mats flying 

 in all directions. We circled low over 

 the town and anchorage, so as to give the 

 engines time to settle down to normal 

 running, and then we headed on a direct 

 compass course for Bima. 



From the point of view of a prospec- 

 tive forced landing, the 400-mile flight 

 to Bima was impossible. Not a single 

 flat occurred on which we might have 

 landed. Scenically, this lap was glori- 

 ous. We skirted the coast of Bali and 

 Lombok, keeping only 2,000 feet above 

 the sea. 



The Bima aerodrome we found in ex- 

 cellent condition, clearly marked with a 

 white ring and encircled by a water- 

 retaining wall. The natives scampered 

 in all directions and would not venture 

 near until they saw us walking about the 

 machine. 



The local sultan and the Dutch officer 

 met us and proffered the hospitality of a 

 native bungalow a couple of miles from 

 the machine. Here we aroused intense 

 interest ; eyes taking little furtive glimp- 

 ses at us peered through every crack and 

 gap. 



During that night some gentleman 

 tried to force my window. I waited 

 quietly until he had raised the sash half- 

 way; then a shot from my Very light 

 pistol put him to a screaming and, I have 

 no doubt, a terror-stricken flight. 



The natives had recovered from their 

 shyness by next morning, and on our 

 arrival were swarming around the ma- 

 chine with presents of coconuts sufficient 

 to start a plantation ; evidently they 

 thought the Vimy a very thirsty sort of 

 bird. 



We took a cargo of nuts on board, as 

 the water was unsuited for drinking, and. 

 setting off in dazzling sunshine, once 

 more pursued our course above scenes of 

 tropical enchantment and alluring charm. 



AT TIMOR 



After following the north coast of 

 Flores to Reo, we crossed over to the 

 south side of the island and ran into iso- 

 lated rainstorms. 



We observed a volcano in active erup- 

 tion on the eastern horizon, but, as the 

 weather indicated a change for the worse, 

 we could not afford to make a deviation. 

 We flew on as far as Pandar, and then 

 swung" off direct for Timor. 



