CHASED BY ARABS AND TIGERS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 September 1927, Page 3

CHASED BY ARABS AND TIGERS

MOTOR-CYCLING WORLD ON IMPORTANT MISSION . AUCKLAND, Last Night. Combining a world tour on motor cycles with missions of national importance, Captain G: Malins, Q.8.E., F.R.G.S., and Captain C. Oliver are through passengers on the "Niagara" to Vancouver. Captain Malins who is an aviator of considerable experience is making investigations on behalf of the British film industry ,and Captain Oliver who is an airship navigator attached to the British Air Ministry and who anticipates he will be th e navigator of one of the airships that will form the inter-Empire service, is making an extensive survey of the countries included in the service.

Both men have had distinguished careers in the Air Service They left London on their cycles in December last and they have passed through Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, India, Burma, and the Malay States, Java and Australia. In crossing the Arabian desert, a distance of some 800 miles, they gained the distinction of being the first men to cross the barren waste on motor Cycles. It was on this hazardous journey also that they nearly lost their lives.

"We were chased by a desperate band of Bedouins who fired at us from close range," said Captain Malins. "Wo pushed ahead at full 'speed and returned fire as we could. Most of the desert is loos<« sand and bad going-, but. forMinatHy for us we w(T" on o. good patch ;u the time and wen- able to outstrip the speedy Arab horses." They had to b:- alert all th« way across the desert, Captain Malins said. They rode all day and at night lit huge fires which would give an enemy the impression that they were a much bigger party. They would then let th 0 tires die out and under the cover of darkness would push ahead silently for about six miles. Here thiy would remain the night each keeping two-hour watches. Their greatest difficulty was in securing p.upplies of w;;ter and t.h'-y often travelled hundreds of miles before eomintr across a well.

Tndiri g.'ive tlv-m thrills 0 <- another kind. Lonely n'fhts ppeii) in 'ho jungle wi*h the knowl.-dge th.'t '-oh-•-;:l)lv wild ." »''••<.•> K- .•.-,,;•<• w!?c!"''v

them from behind 'h<- c<;\-er of !lv tr-pr-r- kept 111 • trMVclliTS ev,.r .-,11 |h(watch. Tn one district the natives warned them about a tiger in the neighbourhood and the travellers spent the night on top of an iron shed.