New Britain herald., 1930-10-24
WORLD'S LONGEST TAXI ROUTE OPENS New Line Crosses Africa From
 Cape to Nile River

Washington, D. C., Oct. 24-The worlds longest taxi service has been established in Africa.
 It runs from Juba at the head or navigation on the Nile to Cape Tcwn at the southern tip of the con- tinent, a distance of more than D.. 900 miles. The Trans-African Motor safaris, as it is called, scedules the trip as a 6O-day journey although read conditions may diminish or ex- lend the transit time.
 Trail Covered in 40 Days
 "Africa's new auto service down he continents backbone uses the southern two-thirds of an 5000 mile Cape-to-Cairo route which has been pioneered by few daring tourists says a bulletin of the National Geo. graphic Society from it's headquar- ters in Washington, D. c. "A young South African and his wife covered the trail in 40 days, driving the en- tire distance, except for 1000 miles oe impossible Sudd morass, through which they ferried on Nile steam- nr.
 Rains may slow up the cars to Fl speed of 300 yards in five days. Lions may come crawling up 70 watch the driver change a flat tire. The rhinoceros must be carefully avoided because these clumsy, heavy weight beasts have been known 70 charge and wreck automobiles kill ing the passengers.
 Through an Al Fresco Zoo
 African chauffeurs skid their cars over big snakes in their path to be sure of killing the reptiles. In Tanganyika and Kenya the route leads through an outdoor zoo, vast game preserve plains thronged with thousands of African animals; elands, kongoni. antelopes, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, hyenas, harte- beest, and 1ackals. Unafraid of au- tcmobiles, herds graze peacefully while cars run close by their un- fenced feeding grounds.
 Salt and golf clubs should have their plac,' in the luggage of every motor traveller through Africa; salt to get out of ruts, golf clubs to while away stop-overs. Even such 8 village as Kasama, merely a jungle crossroads, populated by a handful of whites, has it's golf course. The fairways are not as sporty however, as those in Eliza bethville, where 600 ant hills, rang ing from foot-stool size to young hills substitute for bunkers.
 When the wheels spin and sink in the muck it is time to call for native help. Naked men, women and children will flock to aid the un- fortunate motorist. With shouts and chants they will pull out a car. They will chop down trees and bushes to make a corduroy road over a wet spot. When the labor is over ID reward pleases them more than a teaspoon of salt!
 First Attempt Rolled by Leopard
 "Africa's swift development has been dramatized by successive at tempts to shorten the time between Cairo and Cape Town. The trek was first accomplished in 1898 by Grogan, who travelled on foot with q. small army of native porters. In 1918 the first attempt to go through by automobile failed when Captain Kelsey was killed by a leopard. Colonel van Ryneveld flew the route olfIoo1ICh tUn chimes were wrecked before he reached Cape Town. Surveys now are under way for regular air service.
 "Airplanes and automobiles to- Eether are making Cecil Rhodes dream of an alfred route through Africa an accomplished fact years before he or any of his disciples expected swift through transit could be established. He prophesied the day when trains would run from Cape Town to Cairo; it now seems probable that surfaced roads and air stations will substitute for Rhodes steel rails.
 Lines of highway thread the new map of Africa like cobwebs spun by busy spiders. The new taxi service has today the choice of four routes south from Juba on the Nile.
 The Proposed Route
 "The route selected leads from the Nile to cotton-growing Soroti on the banks of Lake kioga, through Mbale under the slopes of Mt. FL son, down into the trench of the Rift valley at Naivasha where Eu- ropeans are introducing dairy farm ing. Snow-capped Mt. Kenya, some 1I0o0 feet high, pierces the horizon during the last part of the 776 mile, 5.day jaunt into Nairobi, capital of kenya Colony. With a white pop. ulation of fewer than 4,000 Nairobi has. nevertheless organized an au- tcmobile association largely respon- sible for the remarkable develop ment of the road system in Britain East Africa.
 South the Great Trunk road goes, 349 miles to Dodoma, uplan3 center of Tanganyika, curving west ward as it runs around the foothills