MISS JEAN BATTEN IN MOROCCO

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22429, 16 June 1938, Page 16

MISS JEAN BATTEN IN MOROCCO

Departure From Casablanca '' PLAGUE WARNING DISREGARDED Flight to Senegal [Published by "The Press’’ under special arrangement.) . CHAPTER VIII (Continued) “Can I go to Villa Cisneros?’* I asked. - “That’s Spanish territory; and the authorities there might.let me proceed to Senegal,” If not I had decided to return to England on the following day and make the flight in another month or two. To my mind that seemed the only solution, for apart from the record the thought of being inoculated in the unaccustomed heat of Morocco for such a horrible plague as “pest” seemed to be. and immediately afterwards attempting an " Atlantic flight, was not to be entertained; The president promised to see if there was any alternative, and departed to the adjoining room, to return almost immediately with a man whom I took to be the health officer. They were not at all happy as. they told .me that if I liked to sign a document to the effect that haying, been warned about the plague I proceeded entirely at my own risk I should be allowed to fly. on to Senegal. Ah, fate was kind. Yes, I would, sign the paper, I declared happily. They all looked at me in astonishment. I had no firsthand knowledge of plague, and did not realise the terrible .scourge that it was, so the thought that I might encounter the deadly, “pest” did hot enter my head.- • ■ ■. • • Once , the" document was signed we returned to the machine. Refuelling operations were, soon, in full swing; the mechanic, eager to carry out any work I could give him, busied himself draining the- oil. cleaning filters; and refuelling" the petrol tanks. . - At last everything was in readiness for an. early start, for I proposed leaving about an hour before dawn in or-der-to arrive at Thies before sundown. Taking the thermos and the small leather bag containing my few belongings from the-cockpit. I smiled at the crowd, who seemed so genuinely pleased that everything was going Ao schedule. Several people had already offered to. drive me into the town, and after arranging for a guard to watch the machine I departed, leaving the aeroplane still surrounded by an admiring group. Relaxation. Leaning back in the deep seat of the sports, car I breathed a sigh of. contentment. . The flight so. far . had kept to schedule, and now I was - able to relax, for a few hours. We were approaching the •outskirts of the city, and the- sun, - setting in a blaze of gold, tinted the low white houses shades of pearly iridescence The car flashed past a herd of native cattle jolting along the road, and farther on passed two Arabs riding on donkeys and. pictiiresquely clad in hopded garments of orange and black striped cloth. As we drove through the deep shadows of the narrow streets at times we, would have to stop as crowds of natives made way for the car. In some of the doorways Arabs - were squatting, cross-legged smoking pipes, and here and there the rays of an odd lamp would, catch the handsome features of some, Arab youth padding' -noiselessly along the street or jogging homeward on a mule. With a jolt we pulled up outside a large white building, which was appropriately enough called the Hotel Atlantic. A native wearing a long striped garment and a red fez dashed forward to carry the luggage, and I .laughed at the look of amazement and: incredulity oh his, face as T emerged carrying the thermos and tiny leather bag. My -friends agreed to call for me at 3.30 a.m., and after ordering some dinner to be sent to my room I retired.- . , The furnishings of the room to which I wat shown were typically Moroccan. The floor was tiled and partially covered with several beautifully coloured native rugs. The main feature of the bed was a large mosquito net, which completely-enveloped itr-and-the-orange and black striped coverlet was of woven" cloth.* . Hy . the time J had . dined, checked over the maps for the next section of the flight, arranged to be called at 3.30 a.m., and- instructed, the native attendant in the art of filling a thermos it was nearly midnight.. As soon as. my head touched the pillow I fell into a deep sleep, only to be awakened three hbUrs later by the shrill-note of my alarm-clock. Sitting up reluctantly, I groped about for the clock that I might silence its impatient ringing. . .Where had I put the wretched thing? Before I had disentangled myself from the folds of the mosquito net and discovered the clock on. the floor the impatient screaming "had "terminated abruptly. “Every one in the hotel is probably awake by now," I reproachfully told myself. I listened for the angry muttering and smothered baths that these early notes, of my alarmclock usually brought forth from disgruntled guests in adjoining, rooms, but there was not a , sound to be heard. It did not take me long to struggle into my-: £lying-suit,-and after a hasty cup of tea and some biscuits I joined my

friends, who ! had arrived punctually and were awaiting me in the dimly lit halL The native attendant had faith- , fully carried out my instructions, and had the- thermos, filled with coffee, and jeome sandwiches ready for me. Early Morning Take-Off We were soon on our way to the aerodrome. The white" houses looked quite ghbstly ill the' moonlight as we drove through the sleeping city, and the deep silence was only broken by the. occasional distant howl of a dog. ! With the deserted streets to ourselves we made good progress, and soon arrived at the aerodrome.- There was my passport to. retrieve from the customs officer, so while the aeroplane was being wheeled out of the hangar I walked across to the control office and collected it, also obtaining a weather report for Agadir. Bidding good-bye:to my French friends 1., climbed into the cockpit, ran the engine up, and, releasing the brakes, taxied slowly across the aerodrome, and turned, into the •wind. T carefully checked over the-in-stjmments on the dashboard once again, setting the stop-watch, and air-log into operation and. adjusting the illuminated compass, which shone up at me like a -circlet of diamonds from the floor of the- cockpit.: Switching oh the navigation lights I took- off. As I gave the engine full throttle and gently pushed the control" column forward the aeroplane; roared across the aerodrome. As the tail lifted 1 1 eased ittie stick-back, and the Gull "climbed highly above the red boundary lights ■Rapidly gaining height I. throttled .the engine down to cruising revolutions and turned to fly back across the. aerodrome. Even in the darkness Casablanca looked white—almost like a fairy city with .of , tiny sparkling Rights. Unless-.the light southerly wind

telton. 5s 6d. use 'Phone increased in strength I shouldpas<J(® Mogador at about 6.45 aunL, GM.X, I thought. ...J The time factor was a great problem on these long flights, for each place Mg its own local time, and as I was gradually westward, that is, travelling with the sun—l was actually gaining daylight. On the Australia- flight exactly the opposite had been the .0(8% for with every thousand miles 1 Ma flown eastward approximately an hoary daylight had been lost. To prevent confusion I made all my calculations m Greenwich Mean Time, and mis atso enabled me to know to the minute tae number of hours of daylight to®* would be for each day of the-fugnt. There were two clocks on therms Iftt-ment-board, -one which was set Greenwich Mean Time, and the otw I altered at each stopping-place to me local time, for naturally the author?* ties at each aerodrome had to know By estimated time of departure m the® own local time. " t

CHAPTER IX Sand and Son I looked back at Casablanca, wind* in the distance, with all the blurred together, looked exactly .Mg a great, sparkling diamond. The ness of the city was accentuated by tae fact that apart from the asrodro®* there was not another light outssao the boundary of the town, and the SJgf rounding country was in pitch dang ness, for by this time the mobrr bac set. Leaning forward I turned off navigation lights to conserve the'Mg tery, and switched on to the rear peg* tank. The aeroplane roared along Mg a steady ship cutting through a cans* sea. . . S v I looked down, but could distinguish nothing in the blackness which <*•* veloped the earth beneath. The so was clear and exquisitely lovely—*™ encrusted with stars, like myriads diamonds scattered at random across the vault of heaven. One by watched the stars fade before the coming dawn, and gradually the dare* ness gave way to a cold, grey through which I began to distinguiso the country over which I was fly Mi* Miles and miles of sandy ridges met mar eye, with here and there a rocky sparsely covered with vegetation, jP the east the dark outline of the A**?? Mountains towered high in the sky. was growing rapidly lighter, and frog behind the purple shadows of the Ataf a single ray of gold pierced the sky The effect was unbelievable; the tinted the most gorgeous of colotgsr* layer upon layer, from deep cnmsoy to exquisite shades of rose, all wonoeg fully blended. A solitary little clog high up in the greeny blue above we strata of colour took on a pale SQg as one by one -the rays pierced M sky and the sun rose from behind MO mountains. Paling the rich colourUp to pastel tints it shone down, cMt* pletely dominating the clear blue s»J* "v., jftb be CoatinuedJL __ -r*