THRILLS IN THE DESERT

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1929, Page 11

THRILLS IN THE DESERT

SANDBOGGED IN THE SAHARA.

A MOTORIST’S EXPERIENCE.

Traffic in Piccadilly recently was held up while a weather-beaten and somewhat dilapilated-looking car crossed in front of the east and west-bound traffic and turned into Berkeley Street. Evon more dilapidated than the car was the hat worn by the driver, who was muffled to the ears in a woolly scarf and wore a thick leather coat. Alongside him sat an ebony black African, even more stoutly protected from the vagaries of our climate, says the Daily Telegraph. Except that it was travel-stained and mud-splashed, the car might have passed for an ordinary tradesman’s delivery van, with the .sides removed. And yet there was something different about it. From the uprights at the back of the car were slung two canvas water carriers. The identification plates also had a strange appearance, for in addition to the numerals w’ere included characters in Arabic.

Such was the home-coming of Captain R. C. M. Crofton after an adventurous journey of 5500 miles across Africa, including the sandy wastes of the Sahara. He should have been accompanied by Mr. Owen Tweedy, but unfortunately Mr. Tweedy went down with an attack of malaria at the last moment and was unable to complete the triumphal home-coming. Following an inspection of the car, Major C. V. d’A. Stewart, a director of Messrs. Thos. Cook and Sons, explained to a small gathering of friends and wellwishers in the May Fair Hotel that the trip had been undertaken by his firm to see if any new bi’g game shooting areas could be discovered. He made it plain at the outset that nobody deprecated more than Ids firm the practice of shooting big game from motor-cars. Their intention, he explained, was to show how near to a big game area a car could take a party of hunters, and then to leave them to their own resources to follow the trail.

“UNSPOILED GAME.” The trip across Africa, he said, was made entirely without previous preparations, the object being to prove that it was possible for a motor-ear to cross Africa with the same ease as it was possible to go for a long drive hi this country or across Europe, buying petrol and other necessaries on the way. The adventurous journey of 5500 miles, completed in 38 days, had been made possible first by the sterling qualities of tho car, secondly by the excellence of the colonial administration on the part of Great Britain, France and Belgium, which enabled the journey to be carried out without interference, and thirdly by the energy, skill and determination of Captain Crofton, Mr.- Owen Tweedv and the coloured mechanic.

Captain Crofton, the toast of whose health was enthusiastically honoured, expressed regret at the reason for the absence of Mr. Owen Tweedy, who had helped him, ho said, through much of tho real hard work.

The journey from Rejaf, on the Upper Nile, . to Lake Chad, Captain Crofton described as comparatively easy going, along good roads, and with an abundance of supplies. At Lake Chad the party took a few days off for boating and hunting. Game of all sorts, except elephants, was found in abundance, most of it so unspoiled as to be unafraid of man or gun.

In order that tho wheels might obtain a, better grip on tho loose sand, they had provided themselves with rabbit netting, but were induced to jettison this on the advice of a local ‘sportsman,” who assured them that the going was good right through to Algiers, with the result that tho car was badlv ’sandbo-gged,” and for several days averaged only some 25 miles in 24 hours. “It was a most interesting trip," added Captain Crofton, “because it proved to us that tho journey was absolutely feasible for anybody In any soft of raras far as Kano, in Northern Nigeria. But from there onwards across the bahara I would not tackle again unless m a car provided with condensers on the radiator and with large wheels,”