AN INTREPID CYCLIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 171, 10 October 1927, Page 12

AN INTREPID CYCLIST

ACROSS THE ATLAS RANGE A young engineer, Mr. H. E. Dali, of Dunstable Hoad, Luton, England, has successfully completed a hazardous journey across the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. He left Luton on July 22, crossed to France, and made his starting place Toulouse. Before reaching Khenifra, in the lower part of the Atlas Range, he was held up by armed natives, who threatened him with knife and rifle, and wanted to take his machine. Mr. Dali showed them how to ride the bicycle, but when he had completed a circle on the Atlas side of the natives he quickly pedalled away. His appeahance at Khenifra was a complete surprise to the French military authorities. He rode without further incident to Timliadit, and across the Middle Atlas to Assaka. The French Legion regards this range of moutains as in tne most dangerous part of Morocco, and no military officer, it is asserted, would cross without strong escort owing to the antipathy of the native tribes. After reaching Assaka, Mr. Dail cycled to the top of the mountain range, 10,000 feet above sea level. Journeying down the Sahara side of the range he arrived at Rich, where the European mail had just come in. It had occupied 23 days in a journey that Mr. Dali had covered in less than a week. The French military officers laughed scornfully at his story, but their attitude changed when he produced his passport. He was not allowed to go further on his cycle, but was permitted to travel with a military party in a motor-lorry to Gourrama. From here he travelled alone to Tiou Denib, and went on from there by motor-lorry to Colomb Bechar, and thence by train to Oran, after spending some little time in the Sahara Desert.