The Great Peking Motor Race.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 14

The Great Peking Motor Race.

.' . ». '■ '■ ; ' . PRINGE BORGHESE ARRIVES IN PARIS. ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION: !, ■ Half Paris lined the Avenues and Bouloyards between" tho 'Place -de la Nation at Vinconne's arid the'"Matin" on August 10, to' greet Pririfco ISorghose on ■ his; completion- of tlia 1 cking-Paris v motor -raco—if racer it can be called; where the Prince has been first all tho ivay ' and ' the.-. ro'st of tho". competitors practically" rio Where. though a storm of wind arid rain certamly ■ damped; onthusiasni. somewhat, ;it drove-very few from their', post*' Just at four 01 clock the Prince's great grey, motor came booming through the octroi, "doing" the bois;at'3o Mes aa hour in weather which' must have '.invited comparison with /the trials' of the desert, of Gobi. Here, however, he was mot by: all Paris, in, cabs, bicycles, and oni foot,.- and hadto slow down so that, people- might, havo a ,chance>l of seeing ,their hero.'7; :■... 7' . -The Prince and two faithful, companions—Barzini the scribe, w-ho has not missed, sending, liis ? ' telegram ,or .letter since leaving Peking, ana was now taking notes for his sixtieth' and last message, and- 'Hector, tho' man of- petrol and screws;.' were. wrapped in" similar overall and cloaks,- but- the Prince worfl a peculiar sou'-wester. 'covering l , to his cap: His deim-shaveri; : ' keen face smiled serene greetings " back to' the frantically enthusiastic sea' of faces, and_ babel of- tongues that 'were lifted up/in welcqme;- V A Procession. v '/ 77' 7 ' , a sort of. cortege 'was attempted, to be -formed, first,, coming a huea motor wagon dressed with alternate r roncii and Italian, flagSj beneath ,whioh : wore concealed musicians ,with orthodox long trumpets,,'which' brayed: forth the march .from ..'.'Aida.'''. Next,;-cam# I rinc.e Bqrgheso, and /closely' .follow# mg were three ears filled with journal ists and representatives of motor hrm , s - directly he reached vard Voltairo tho Prince' put on his fourth speed,. ' arid 'came 1 ' up to tho lorto St.' Denis.'at a' ! pace';'which showea.-th'at his journey had not; taken much out of' his car;, lfeft' all/but tlirco att-endanti parasites,', each stoeMi by racing chauffeur celebrities; ■ far bel hind .'" On' thti * principal boulevards tfii

crowd was "-packed;- so /densely' that l'rince- Borgheso 'hbd literally ' to push his motor ;slowly through; them/ Siri&» Admiral' Avellan, lnobody • has evbr •' had such a reception:: If : tliel : issestHroi\u. at. him ladies' had bcori'shoTvflakei he would have'bben bimed ; ir foot'deep: ror" Parisians'love" aft idbl, l * espebiallV when' he. isVa]"Prince. Y Hoisted Shoulder High.' . .Oil, reaching tte/ .'offices~h« was .hoisted shoulderfhigb," and carried upstairs, where'his/relations' iracU-a number of motor chieftains were invited to meet him at lunch. ■ Hero hff made a modest-: speech,.; saying fthat ha: had never bothered about, doujg ,more than the '.day's., journey, .immediatelyahead of liim,_ and,that ..it-'becanie,^ ;,.a' matter of ...habit, and pould, be dpiio by G >!?tsbpily',' [with patiehbe and ,'pa*sevejx f" 00 - He added; as an .afterthought,' I chose' a good' car' to\ . do .it, \nth.v thougji.'.'.V '■ 'V i Ill s spite' of.' .the,' 'ram);still drizzled, .'.the' crowd: waited till.-Prixicei Borghese appeared on . tie'. ,',' Matin!!; balcoriy; yvith a. huge bouquet .'arid s'eyfe ■ ral gold:, medals, - had beon prosented him. . By His side was-Barzinii' who travelled mosf of ,'the,', way from Poking .liercbed ■ on,..the ,:spa^, ; .pbtrol .tanks. Princo':Borghes'o:',looks rather' like;. an -American, buti'BarziliK is of tho pure Italian;, type; .The V, Princs prctonds,-: jokingly;- .'that,,,,when:not writing'Barzihi'. ( :was, ;alwaysv, asleep/ trast ivHh tbe uunilfled smileof- tho Prince, j:yyyf ; v. The. Banquet' and -.Fete. t i i%! f " pa ? fc ■■' "Prince l * Borghese left to. dress for tho banquet of ' tho Automobile ,Club, ; slipping away. l with Barzmiah a small, swft motor, that de-: lied; pursuit.- 'Finally,' Hector;' grimed and ■ dusty,,with the sands) o'fi China" and ; Russia.; still■ on >his ; 'old coati 1 ■climbed,into - the.., historic -,-iar, and ■ packingit' fi„few feet,;, drove' 'it up;-an ' j; ll0 "n?d plank , on. to.', a platform 'iij' front. of, the.''Mfitin!'■ where l it (Will..remain; on ; viow, -fori. threVdaysJ After., this, the.,public-sawi the Prince no more. The banquet was attended by a hundred -guests,'.and , there were many toasts,; amongst: btlicrs one sent by' a: group,'of "belles'femmos de la Normandie, 1 who; delegaitedi'Soihebbdy ! present, to., {express their'- admiration. 1 ' l-iie at the iiTuileirifes' 1 Went .off..to.- the -.satisfaction of >' "tlie -ticket? holders, though all-the firewbrks' lia'd' to,.be ~s.et,>up afreshp, since .ftlio''aft&rtioon storm' ,ha,d destroyed the'whole "of tho. original! preparations^,.-•■•v'-, ..A, 'Renter's: .... Paris :■ t'ele'gram; states' that the, dinner .given in>jhonourl'-b'f': Prince, Borghese, tho . Italian' Charge" d'affaires aiid tumorous; celebrities" 1 bf the .sporting .world -were present; ; Several, speeches;, were delivered-tin: praise, of the;courago,pf:Prince.Borghftsii and the other .competitors, ,in the race;: and drawing attention: to «:the • wonderful : progress,, of -automobilism..; • Prince' Borghese i replied,, and. drank to France and tho:automqbilo,industry. u..y» Journey of Two Months.

"Prince Borghese left* his tala tar on'- Juno,lo."-His • route,ilayj: for _tho most part, through .'uninhabited regions, aoi'osS vast deserts, where, the. heat> was overpowering, -and', oyer.iliun : : drcds of miles of boggy , and ".roadless.country. . By the natives of Mongolia; the' motorist wis! regarded.',.as v a;super-; natural' being, 'and time;and.again, wearer told jho witnessed'the sptcta'clo of whole' comanmities Vflcqing,''. .'.in,, utterdismay,. at the. appfoaci, of. the car.yAs' the confines' of Western , civilisation; were rehched, th'o people betriyed less wonderment; arid occasionally lent their aid when anything went wrong 'with. the. mechanism and necessitated a stop. , , The Russian fronticl" was crossed, at Kiaklita, oh "Juhe v -'24i ' aiid Prince Borghese 1 exepcted;to ifindv.improybd travelling conditions, 'but the-highways;* as he inforned our Moscow correspond-' ens ..on reaching there onJuly.27,' worethe merest, apologies forroads. .vj-At' Berlin, (tlio Prince; received: an lova-; ition. similar to tho • Moscow, greeting?' anii! his progress .thence to. Paris was.' that 'of a. conquering .hero./, - --it .The Peking to .Paris, drive is' somothing more, than a sporting--event.. It: will probably revolutionise, inothods of I transport in the . .regions,, traversed,': and'giyo great to thejicoloni---satio'n of the , Asiatic:,: wastes. The-: journey, has: proved tho possibility ofithc employment, of- car,'; hitherto little, considcredvin: tho'topen-' ing up 'of, ,remotp; districts', f . which laro, capiblo of, immense'development, ■: pro-\ vided only ; that safo, and : speedy: nm-; municatiqn with\thp -! outor •. world > can v ho\os.tablislied,,ahd maintained.-;-•!j • •