After a delay of six days, owing to bad weather, two of the Royal Air Force flying-boats engaged on a goodwill tour" to China and Japan arrived In Shanghai early last Wednesday afternoon, to the relict not only" of the many in. Shang-hal who had been anxiously awaiting hele arrival, but algo of the officers and linen of the aeroplanes themsctves who had to spend two nights and day in the cramped quarters of their machines when they were forced down in Namkwan Bay.
Sortly afler 10° o'clock that morning, the off leo of HIM, Alr Aitaché" here received the long wailed message that the two fyingboats had token off: from Namkwan and were expected to arrive in Shanghai slightly before 139 pin. Fully half an hour before that time, the new Fish Market pontoon on Point Island was taken possession of by a large crowd, consisting of representative members of H.M, Alt Attaché's fee, headed by "Group-Captain R. P. Wittock, and of the Tallan Alr Attaché's arnee, Chinese and Japanese offals, newspaper representatives, and many others, who seanned the skies for the frst signs of the two planes, 'At 127 pam. a shout went up. 'The fAying-boats had been sighted, dying side by''side, coming in the general @lrection of' The Bund. They dis appeared from view for a few minutes as they circled over Shang hal, and then reappeared, one behind the other. Roaring low overhead, they banked and disappeared from view once more, On nearing the Fish Market, the two" planes came abreast of "each other, and motored slowly past, while the" colours of the Royal Air' Force were hoisted, Ahead of them puffed small motor-driven sampan, whose stacatto "popping" had almost'drowned the roar of the aeroplane engin" when they first flew overhead. the stern of the little boat, a foreign employee of the Astatic 'Petroleum Ca, frantically waved a large Red Ensign, us he guided the two huge planes' to their buoys. A few minutes Inter, and the even ticking of eight Rolls-Royce engines, aggregating 4,900 horse-power, faded' into silence, a "the two fying-boats made fast, Sampans conveyed the officers ashore, where they were met by the large crowd. A quick pose for photographers, a welcome drink in the Fish Market, and they left for the Cathay Hold for a wash and lunch.
noon, Air-Commodore "an interview tu" the ater: hat' the flight was an official visit by two fying-beals of the RAP. to Japan. It was the frst occasion that any: RAF. fying-boat had flow north of Hongkong, which was an air base unday his command.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.