Swift Transport.

But a Long Way Round From Sydney to Suva.

EARLY in August Mr. J. E. W.

Dunstan, then in Sydney, received urgent advice that his father was lying very dangerously ill in the War Memorial Hospital in Suva, Fiji. He and his sister, Mrs. Doreen M. Alien, at once sought means of conveyance to Suva.

They had just missed the ordinary mail steamers, and there was no further vessel for a couple of weeks.

But they were advised by the Matson Line agents that a Swedish cargo steamer, the Boren, was due to sail the following day, August 8, from Port Pirie, South Australia, to Levuka direct, to load copra for Messrs. Morris Hedstrom, and the Matson people assisted them to get a passage on the Boren, provided they could reach Port Pirie in time.

Then events moved swiftly. A well known airman, Major de Havilland, agreed to take them to South Australia, and they left Sydney on August 7, and made a fast flight. But dusk overtook them, and the aeroplane made a forced landing in a paddock about 100 miles from anywhere. There were exciting incidents before they secured a car, and made a final dash of 100 miles by road. They caught the Boren, whose departure had been specially delayed to meet their convenience.

On arrival at Levuka, the two passengers were met by Mr. St. G. Ryder, manager for Messrs. Morris Hedstrom Ltd. at that port, and they were taken at once to one of Fiji Airways sea planes, which was waiting for them.

They landed in Suva before 10 a.m.

Customs and Police Departments were most helpful in administering pass port regulations, etc., so that the travellers should not be unduly delayed.

Their luggage was delivered to them in Suva the following day by the interisland steamer Sir John Forrest.