THRILLING FLIGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17230, 9 April 1930, Page 14

THRILLING FLIGHT

OVER AFRICAN JUNGLE TO SAVE LIFE OF WOMAN Advice has just 'boon received of a thrilling flight from Johannesburg lo Angola (Portuguese West Africa), made U>y Lieut. J. R. King to save the life of a woman missionary in Angola. An urgent message had been des patched for an anti-hydrophobia serum. Lieut. King set out on his (iOO-iuile journey with the serum canfully placed in his inside pocket. At one stage of his journey he ran almost out of petrol. Below were thousands of square, miles of dense jungle. lie ramie across a little dried patch of riverbed, and, nosing his machine in, he made a safe landing. The next day natives arrived mi the scene, and with their aid the machine was dismantled in order to make it portable. After covering about .1-1 miles, they reached a clearing which Lieut. King considered would permit him to take oil' when he had some petrol. A porter was sent to Lubtingo and in due course returned with a supply of fuel. When Lieut. King arrived at Lubango, the I'oi tuguese (iovernor of this territory ordered an army of native convicts to clear and level a length of dried up riverbed, so .that Lieut. King could take off, and with his tanks and cockpit once more full of fuel, he departed mi the last lap to Malange. At Malange, the package containing the serum for the dying missionary woman was put on a small hand trolley, and reached the mission station by terrestrial transport over the last few miles, of its romantic journey. The tines! view of Africa that Lieut. King obtained in that 6000-mile journey was the great estuary of the Congo. At the place where lie commenced to cross, the river was so wide thai he could not see .across it. Studded with great islands, dark equatorial vegetation, and steaming with the mists from the swamps on both banks, it was an unforgettable sight. Supplies of motor spirit, and Mnbiloil were made availa'ble by the Vacuum Oil Co., Pty., Ltd.