FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16723, 5 January 1920, Page 7

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

MATTnSV.'S" adventtjt.es. eHv CsWiv-P:t* A«"- • I«:or.—CopyrijliU nr.! N.Z. Ci I .'- Association.* <■ vc*l .hnii-Tv 1 b, <).•> p in.( MKMUH'IINF,, January 3. Captain C. G. Mat: tlu- aviator, ; fro:: 1 . (■-rt: T ;in t: r-.cpl" Wider elate? lie- I'tnli' r :»1.-t: ' I a:;; h-aving for Bagdad on January Jr.d. 1 v,a~ tin.i'- 1 .- to /•omninnic-ate from late- «-n>'f:;y country, hut hope t• k<-ap in t..t:ch henceforth. I'le'a?o e-onv y my congratulations to I'os Smith on his «.piendiel achiervomeiit." (Captain C.. C. Matthews. in a <rith ni.'K'hinr. left l/'ndon on October l.'l-t,, arrived at C-dogr" Octohor Wrd. Mayence November L*2nel, Dag burg November 'jlst, ami at Vienna December l-it. He- statevl that bael weather ami lac!: rij petrol were* respon iblo for the? elrlay. lie oxpcct-od in leave Vienna a day or t-.vo later, but nothing further was rfciveel regarding lii.s movements until I)e-ornbcr 11th. wlr ri it was reported that he }i;vel reached Belgrade". Mail advices fr-m Captain Matthews, dated from Belgraele, stated that he was unable to pet. supplies of petrol in Vienna, and was hampered hv fogs, rain, and snow all through tho jonmey. lie* was feirced to elescenel in a fog within 100 miles of Belgrade, whore* masked men pnirronndefl nnel arrested both Captain Matthews nn<l Lieutenant Kay antl took their papers. Tho aviators were impri-'<n«l for four d*iy,<j in a small room, 10 font square, anel'were frd on bread and fat. THtimntely, becoming elcsperato, they broke away from _their captors and succeeded in rn.irhing their ina-chino. They asconeled in a elense fog anel managed to roach the aerodrome nt Novisad. -15 miles from Belgrade, oor-upind bv French officers. They (hen hael only 20 gallons of petrol left. Subsequently thev w-nire-d sufficient petrol to take thorn to Sofia, whoro they wero hold up hv four <lajrs' fnowstorms.]