'The Douglas Dolphin averaged! splendid time during the frst lap of the fight, making 155 miles the frst hour, "A good tall wind aided in the! speed, the plane having a cruising speed' of 180 miles per hour.
Taking off at 7 axa. the plane by 730 am. had sighted the Voleano Island of the Loshan group in Hangchow Bay. at 805 am. the plane Passed Shipu, a good-sized Ashing village where the company maintains a radio station and keeps emergency 'AL o'clock, right on schedule, the plane dropped from the sky and came along the floating barge at Wenchow, a distance of 280 miles from Shanghai. While local notables were taken up on five courtesy Aights by Pilot Vaughan, the Shang-hal party were taken on a tour of this old Chinese city which does not have a single motor car and depends upon rickshaws for its mode of trans portation.
The plane took off for Foochow at 11 am. Returning to Wenchow again for tiffin the return trip was made in two hours, Safety is commercial aviation's Jarst consideration in China. Nowhere else in the world is the air-minded {traveller as conscious of the fact that Jafety of passengers and planes comes before making records and keeping to schedules than he is here.
Members of the press party who Jarose before daylight Sunday morn-jing, packed their bags, grabbed a hasty cup of coffee or tea and reached the Lungwha airfield sleepy-eyed Jand not quite awake did not relish returning home after being gone only Mine hours. But they too concurred with Me. Vaughan's decision to turn leach the huge Douglas seaplane, realizing that it would be better to return home too soon—rather "then perhaps, not. at all.
All went well during the first lap of the journey and the press representatives. including one from the "North-China Herald," looked out of the windows, waved goodbye to. company officials and friends as the "Dolphin" soared high into the Over Hangchow Bay According to Mr. H. M. Bixby, another official, the good-will flight, opening the Canton-Shanghai route to passengers will be postponed until In less than a half hour the plane was well over Hangchow bay and skim. ming smoothly over Volcano Island. JDown below the passengers could see on Friday when Vice-Admiral the mechanized units which took itary spectators who included a slow moving freighter or tug, similar to the one thet took thirty. hours to reach the same spot last spring. For the first few moments in the alr the plane flew over a Jchecker-board of farm lands, the patches of greens and brown' criss crossed by innumerable canals. Then jeame the muddy flats and the rugged [shore line of the coast. The passengers were impressed moving 20 quickly Jand passing almost at once. from /Shanghal's river flat-lands to the hilly [Leeshan Islands and the mountainous coast.
As the plane climbed higher for altitude the passengers could look Jéown on the bay and tiny moving Jdots which at second glance turned Jout to be junks and fishing sampans. JAt 785 am. they were able to sight fin the distance, a glimpse of the Yung River, gateway to Ningpo. Then, about a half hour later the plane passed over Shipu, a good-sized fishing village where an emergency refuelling ard radio station is maintained by CNAC.
Travelling by air is @ perfect cand impressive way to see China. Especl-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.