ACROSS THE DESERT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 January 1927, Page 5

ACROSS THE DESERT.

MOTORIST’S REMARKABLE FEAT. BY CABLE—PREBS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received 10.35 a.m. to-day. PARIS, Jan. 25. Lieut. Estienne has reached Fort Lamy, on Lake Tehad, in eleven days from Paris. He has covered 8000 kilometres, much through waterless desert, and absolutely alone. He is continuing towards French Soudan, but returns before long for his marriage in Paris.. He is a son of General Estienne, the inventor of the French type of tanks. [A cable message last week stated: From Paris to Naimey in Nigeria in eight days is the remarkable motoring exploit of Lieutenant Estienne. Hither to it had been supposed that special ears were necessary to cross the Sahara. At first caterpillar wheles were tried, and then the six-wheeled car. Lieut. Estienne conquered the desert in a small ordinary 6 h.p. car. He left Paris on the afternoon of January 7, embarking for Oran next day, and reached Naimey on the morning of January 15, and handed to the Governor ’ a Paris letter only a week old, whereas normally the post takes six weeks. Lieut. Estienne intends to proceed to Zinder and Kano.)