Another 2% days' driving through the salt desert brought me to the Iranian-Afghan border. 1 slept most-camp bed in native rest houses; only in bigger towns are there so-called hotels with some kind of accommodation. In Mashed 1 found fut that the main rear spring was broken and a blacksmith had to do his best, to fix a lorry spring Into] my Chrysler. "The only available right Inner tube was bought by me replace one completely torn one, T proceeded with mixed feelings {into the wildness of Afghanistan. single track over the desert, in some places untraceable road between the fort on the frontier and the next town, Heart, where I stayed in the Government resthoust From here started the most painful journey of 1,800 kin. through the] country until Kabul, the capital, 1 went on camel tracks, through river beds, through two-foot deep water [channels, over a wooden suspension bridge, into deep wadis, over steep sand dunes, and over rocky paths in the mountains. No water for 100 kin. except which 1 carried along in bags. INo trees, no grass, only sand and rock. My average was 15 mph, driving eleven hours daily. The days were very hot and the nights bitterly cold. "I enjoyed the native austin, the sheep fur coat, when 1 once to stay over night in the desert in the Jear because I missied my track in the dusk, after my lights went out. [My light cable had a short circuit, The wire behind dash board caught [fre and only quick detaching of the attery cable stopped fire. No water was available.
Only 30 Yards from the Road The next morning I found myself lonly 30 yards off the track. It sounds ridiculous, but only a. person having experienced similar trips, can under~ stand the situation—pitch dark night, no light in the ear except a torchlight and in the middle of a flat desert with nobody round to ask for the way. 'Once more, we were misled through the wrong' information given by camel driver, who probably thought ita very good joke to send a Chrysler [car on a detour of 50 miles. Because lor the very bad conditions of the tracks I broke the other main rear spring, my oil pipe for the brakes and the speedome.or cable. Repairs to this kind neither 1 nor anyone else in the district could make. So it fiappened that 1 drove 800 kin. with. lout brakes (only handbrakes working) without mileage control (I could Jnot check up my distances) and with limping rear axle. Sometimes 1 [sweat blood when going over a pass 6,000 feet high without brakes, of when I had two flat tires at one time, being three hours from the next village at 5 pam. when at 6 pin. it is absolutely dark. Some days J Jcould cover only "200 kin. with the most skilful driving,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.