10 YEARS' TRAVELLING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 195, 14 May 1940, Page 4

10 YEARS' TRAVELLING

Indian Cyclists Lecture At E.S.U. Tlie three young Jndin ns from Bombay at present in Wellington in (he course of a cycling lour that has taken seven years ami will last another three, gave tin account of their experiences at a well-attended meeting of the Eng-lish-Speaking Union travel circle last nigh*The travellers. Messrs. Shroff, KUeriis and Khandhi (promoter), left India in 1933 and have since travelled in -II countries. Tlie object of the tour, Mr. Ghiindhi said, was to prove that peace could largely be established by travel, for a travelled person had a wider, and more sympathetic outlook. They were also studying social relations so that <m returning home they hoped to be able to help their own people. On an average they travelled 70 to 100 miles a day but often in difficult. country, they had been forced to. carry their bicycles, weighing 1201 b. Encounters with wild beasts in Indian jungles and with crocodiles in Hooded country in East Africa were among their adventures. From India they crossed tlie Himalayas to Afghanistan and had to ride across an SO-mile desert without water or food. After eating poisonous wild fruit they became ill and luckily were picked up by a caravan and recovered sufficiently to continue.

In Turkey they found the people hard-working and patriotic, but by some misunderstanding the three tourists were taken for spies. After 15 days in prison they were allowed to leave the country escorted by three armed soldiers through the military zone. They also visited Bulgaria, Hungary' Austria, Germany, Belgium, the British Isles, France, Switzerland, Spain just before the Civil War, and Africa, among other countries. Lantern slides illustrated the talk. Mr. Frank Pears, chairman of the circle, introduced the visitors. At the conclusion of the lecture supper wtts served.