JEAN BATTEN

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1933, Page 6

JEAN BATTEN

NICHT IN THE DESERT FLIGHT IN SANDSTORM LONDON, May 18. M iss Jean. Batten, the 23-year-okl Auckland girl, who is attempting to fly to Australia, gives the following account of her experiences to the Daily ICx] ress in a cablegram from Karachi: —“I flew blind across the Channel in thick weather, "but as it had improved by the time I arrived at Marseilles [ decided to cut across the Gulf of Genoa via Corsica direct to Rome. J met a . rainstorm, landed in Rome 10 hours after leaving Lympmy and left half ail hour later. I arrived in Naples in one and a-ijuarter hours, aitd after a slight delay left at 8.30.

‘■There was a mist over the mountains, but the weather improved .on leaving the Italian Coast, and 1 saw Corfu Island 30 miles away and landed in Athens at 2.30. I left in the moonlight at 3 Ao, and in spite of terrific bum us ever the Turkish coast, climbed 1230 ft. to fly over the mountains to Aleppo. “I left Aleppo half an hour after arriving, then I ran into a sandstorm 100 mi'os from Bagdad. I landeU in the moonlight and slept the night in the desert. J awoke to find myself surrounded by Arabs and presented cigarettes and biscuits to the slunk. The ■ Arabs squatted in a ring round my machine and were deeply interested in the starting apparatus. They gave me a great gend-off, with shouts and cheers.

“I arrived in Bagdad next morning and left immediately for Basra. I left Basra a t midnight for J a sic, and took off. again immediately for Karachi. Within 100 miles of Karachi a terrible sandstorm arose. I flow blind very low, and landed in a field in Baluchistan. While i was taxi-ing the machine nosed over in the mud, and the propeller was splintered.

“Scores of Baluchis assisted me, and I had to ride a camel to Bela, six hours away. There I telegraphed to Karachi and obtained a motor-lorry, but it had' no petrol, and I hfid to make another journey hack to my machine to drain some out. In the lorry I arrived at Karachi next evening.”