, 1925-01-02

as the home OF Malhy pAfatea hIH
source Of most OF the worlds tin
supply.
The next important supply depot
that the advance officer for the
world fliers had established was at
Raneoon, near where the Irravvady
eu1pties into the BAN Of Bengal. But
TO fly from Siam 10 Burma, Com
mander Smith and his fellow airmen
had to decide whether they should
20 around the Malay peninsula or
ny over It.. II the former then they
we're faced with a flight OF nearly
thousand miles across the Gulf
OF siam, the South China Sea, and
thence from Singapore near the
equator up to the Straits Of Malacca
70 the Bay OF Bengal. Their planes
we're equipped with p%ontoons. So
the logical thing 10 do was to keep
over water as much Of the time as
possible until the arrival in Calcutta,
where they were scheduled TO change
wheels for the flight across India
Decide to Take = Chance.
But II they flew a few miles south
to the thiunest part OF the PENN.
slla, and ran the risk Of crashing
in the primeval Jungle where a
forced landing would near certain
death. a flight Of only one hundred
and thirty miles would take them
across Malaga. They decided to
tahs the chance and attempt TO cut
off over 500 miles.
Friday morning, the twentieth
day of June, they rolled out OF their
hunks on the destroyer. and went
through their usual couple OF hours
CT aquatic sports. taxing up and
down the river. attempting TO get
off. Tho Menam, life many other
inland waterways, lie so smooth
that It's a ticklish game trying to
rutfle up the surface enough to get
on TO ones "pontoon step" But
they finally made 1t. and were on
their way 10 Mandalay.
On nearly every leg OF their sur
nsy around the globe they
tered some new phenomena that
kept the flight from eve becoming
monotonous. This jump from Siam
TO Burma was no exception. Just
as the Jungle oreepers twine them
selves around and strange giant
trees, in a %curiously similar way
strange air currents from the som
Der Malay forest reached UP and
tried 10 pull them down down into
the tropical wilderness.
Leave Wiue-Iike Air Behind.
They began to notice these air
currents about n half hour after the
bristiing gilded spires and Jewel
studded pasodas OF Bangkok had
melted into the background of ban
vans. bamboos, and tamarind trees.
although It was shortly after dawn
that they boarded the planes. by the
time they had reached the tropio
coast Of Malaga the wine like tonic
OF the sir at daybresk had gone The
air was humid and the vast. drip
ping forest under them was throw
ing off great clouds OF vapor.
Some OF the mountains in the cen
t.r OF this peninsula are from 5000
70 1000 feet high. Even the preci-
pices are stifled under the weight OF
banks Of fern and tangled jungle
The brooding immensely. and all pre-
vading fecundity OF that Malay for
est surpassed anything the f1iers had
ever seen. The clouds OF steam r's-
ing from the damp roots OF the jun.
gle hung so low that they hid the
mountain tops and the American
airmen were OFTEN obliged TO kick
rudder" n dodge quickly.
Suction Causes fearful Visions.
AT times" according to Jack
Harding. the pontoons Of the three
planes barely SKINNED over the
Jungle covered submits OF these uu-
trodden mountains. Then tho mo-
msnt we would shoot put over a
valley a downward current OF air
would drop us with such speed that
I had visions Of waking up in the
Jungle. 10 find myself either dang
ling from the horn Of a Malsvan