CYCLING IN AFRICA.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13753, 19 June 1913, Page 3

CYCLING IN AFRICA.

2000 MILES ON A MOTOR CYCLE

Miss E. L. C. Watson, LL.A., hasjust reached London safe and sound after an advonturous 2000-milo trip on a motor cycle from the Cape to Pretoria. Wearing neat riding,breeches a. habit* coat, and high lace-up boots, a motor cyclist's peaked cap, and taking with her a complete traveller's outfit, Miss Watson started from tho Cape on hor 2s' horse-power motor cycle. Bit by bit tho nice outfit had to be thrown to the four winds, for comfort, ahe found, must be sacrificed to light|tes3 on a long journey.

"The tea basket was, the first to go," explained Miss Watson recently to a newspaper representative. "A large can of lubricating oil soon followed it, a-hat I had taken with me I found to bo unnecessary, my motor cyclist's cap sufficing. A despatch case went the way of the tea outfit, and, one by one, superfluous tools were left behind. Greatly to my surprise, I found I could dispense with tho oxtra two gallons of potrol which I thought I would have to have by me, for I found that in even the most isolated parts of South Africa I was never very fur from a store of petrol, which is used by tho farmers for their engines.

"Of course, I did all I could to avoid the big rivers, but tho 'dongas,' which aro irregular channels mado by tho tropical rains, were a difficulty. None of the shuts (streams) are bridged, and tho wator-courses aro sometimes very deep. I found that I had to chooso between going gently through the water, in which case there was no,impetus to carry tho machine up the sharp ascent at the other side, or 'rushing it. I chose 'rushing' it, as moro exciting and also as moro effective, although I frequently got wringing wet in tho process and incidentally had rather a bad spell through trying to 'rush' a stoop water-course at Majuba, where the rcjad crossos Laing's Nek at a height of 500 feet. Near Fourteen Streams I all T>y cycled into tho Vaal during a violent thunderstorm. "Everyone was very kind," added Miss Watson. "In the course of my journey I met tho first woman who had ovor used . a motor cycle in South Africa. It was Mrs. Button, a daughter of General Cronje."