, 1925-01-02

AAIN ~ AAAAAAH HA hNAE4 ~ AAAN A1A ~
cious slandanE. which lives in heart
r%hinoceros or squashed by a thirty
Of this jungle ana Is rsputed TO be
the dangerous animal on
earth,
While crossing a deep valley
right IN the middle OF the peninsula
we were suddenly sucked toward
the Jungle Just like a mat inhaled
by a green monster. The Chicago
and Boston were well off of our
right at the time and not affected
by the particular current, although
they. too. were having the bumpi-
est trip they had ever gone through.
While we were sucked into the val
ley they passed on over the next
ridge. Wo cloudn't get over II. so
Erik banked TO the left. and we flew
right back the way be came in or.
der TO get out and into another air
current. But when we started over
the ridge we were drawn right into
that valley again.
Strike Maiayan Air Trap.
Meanwhile the other boys were
wondering what had happened to us.
So they flew back and circled
around. waiting for us TO escape
from this curious air trap. Wade
and Ogden were flying a bit lower
than Smith and Arnold, and sudden
ly. they too. found themselves suck.
ed into the valley. Both planes
were dangerously near the Jungle.
A strange race OF pygmies, called
the Sakei, life in the Styglan depths
OF the Malayan forest. They wear
no clothes, live in bamboo shelters
high up in the trees. and use poison
ed arrows shot from blow pipes with
which to kill monkeys and birds.
What u those pygmies have
thought when they saw and heard
us go roaring over their jungle vii
lagos? But we were four Of the hap.
plest airmen east Of suez when we
finally succeeded In climbing out
OF that Malayan air trap.
Before We had gotten across the
Malay peninsula the invisible sun
and dank vapors arising from that
equatorial wilderness made US feel
as though we were flying through
steam instead OF through air. AS
we drew nearer the Bay of Bengal
we could see occasional gaps in the
Jungle and rows and rows of trees
all laid out with mathematical pre-
clsion. We knew these must be
rubber plantations. for we had heard
in Bangkok that nearly all the rub.
Der used in making tires for Ameri-
can motor cars is grown in the
Federated Malay states. Straits Set
Elements. and on the island of Su.
matra. a little to the south of us.
Just across the equator. But after
our hair raising experiences with
the air currents OF Malaga, We had
10 Wild desire to fly down low
enough to see the Tamil tappers col
lecting the latex or 10 fly past the
open doors OF any OF the plantation
factories Just to get a glimpse of
wan faced Englishmen turning watts
Of milky sap into c%oagulated s
Of raw rubber by adding acetic acid
Fly Out Over Sea.
I'VE few right on out to sea and
came down beside the destroyer
sicard that was awaiting us at
Tavoy 10 give US a fresh supply OF
fuel There were strong cross cur
rents where We descended that made
IL difficult for us to reach u moor.
lngs While we were ssrvioing up
the tide changed. the wind swept
In from Nicobar and the Audamans,
and the sea became almost too
rough 10 get of. But we were
forced 10 try It though. because
there was no sheltered cove where
we could run in until the storm
passed.
Smith and Les managed to get
or, but Leigh and Hank on their
final bounce before leaving the
water hit a big wave and one Of
their wires gave way. When we
followed along behind them IN leap