"Guba" For Imperial

Job

Pioneer Airmail Flight Across South Indian Ocean

THE large, powerful flying-boat “Guba”, owned by Mr. Richard Archbold, an American millioniare, and which during the past year has become fami liar to residents of Northern New Guinea and Papua, has been chartered by the Australian Government to make a survey flight across the Indian Ocean, from North-West Australia to Equatorial Africa in the vicinity of Mombasa.

This is a new route for flying-boats.

The flying-boat service now operating between England and Australia runs in a direct line across the Mediterranean, Arabia and India, and via the East Indies to Australia. It is feared, however, that in the event of European war this route would be seriously interrupted and, therefore, Australia is co-operating with the Government of Britain in seeking an alternative route.

The proposed alternative route is across the South Indian Ocean, via Cocos Island, Diego Garcia Island and the Seychelles Islands to Mombasa, on the East Coast of Africa; then directly across Africa to the Guinea Coast; and then up the Western Coast of Africa and the coast of Portugal to England.

Mr. Archbold for several months has been in Hollandia (Dutch New Guinea) in charge of an expedition on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History.

His expedition flew from San Francisco

to New Guinea by the “Guba” in a few days; and communication has since been maintained between Hollandia and Port Moresby and Australia by means of the “Guba”.

It appears' that the expedition will leave Hollandia in the “Guba” late In May and come directly to Australia.

There, a number of Australians con nected with the proposed survey flight will be picked up, and the “Guba” will leave in June for the South Indian Ocean and East Africa. It is understood that the Australians will leave her in Africa, and Mr. Archbold and his associates will then fly across Africa and across the South Atlantic to the United States, and home.