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26: ENGLAND-INDIA-MALAYA-AUSTRALIA ROUTE:
MAP A
Services leave London for Palestine, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, India, Malaya and Australia on Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving at Brisbane, Australia (12,754 miles), on Mondays and Thursdays, 12 and a half days after leaving London. There is also a weekly service to Hongkong, leaving London on Saturdays and branching off the main Australia service at Penang, which arrives at Hongkong on Wednesdays, 10 and a half days after leaving London. Our map shows the route which is followed as far as Malaya.
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27: REFUELLING THE "SCIPIO" IN ALEXANDRIA HARBOUR
Alexandria is the junction of the Imperial Airways India-Malaya-Australia route and the route to South Africa (see card No. 12 for description of Alexandria). In the illustration we see the Imperial Airways flying-boat, the Scipio (see card No. 9), in which we have flown the Mediterranean, being refuelled while at anchor in Alexandria Harbour. From Alexandria we fly over the cultivated Nile Delta and above Port Said, where we see the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. This project, the conception of the French engineer, de Lesseps, was cut between 1859-1869 at a cost of £20,000,000. The British Government holds the controlling interest in the shares. From Port Said we fly over the south-eastern corner of the Mediterranean to Palestine.
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28: JERUSALEM - THE TEMPLE AREA
Leaving Gaza, our air liner crosses the Judean hills, and we are fortunate in getting glimpses of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Our illustration is of the famous Temple Area at Jerusalem, a level platform surrounded by walls on the summit of Mount Moriah. The edifice surmounted by a big dome is the "Dome of the Rock", or the Kubbet es-Sakhrah, and stands on the traditional site of Solomon's Temple. It was built in the 7th century by the Caliph Abd-al-Malik, who reigned from A.D. 685-705, and restored by Saladin (against whom King Richard I of England fought in the Crusades) and Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned A.D. 1520-1566).
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29: THE "HANNO" OVER THE DEAD SEA
The air liner in which we fly from Alexandria to Karachi is one of the Hannibal class (see card No. 17) - in this case, the Hanno. Just below us lies the Dead Sea, 1,300 ft. below sea level, and flowing into it is the River Jordan. In the distance are the mountains of Moab. We now fly on into Trans-Jordan, and at Amman cross the Damascus-Amman railway line. We then follow the Iraq Petroleum Company's pipe line, along which fuel oil is pumped from the oil fields to the Mediterranean, where it is shipped at Haifa.
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30: EL KADIMAIN MOSQUE, BAGHDAD
Our route over the desert is via Rutba Wells, a refuelling point situated roughly midway between the Palestine border and Baghdad. From here we fly over the car track used by motor traffic between Iraq and Syria. Passing over Lake Al Habbaniya and the River Suphrates, we then sight the River Tigris and, beyond that, Baghdad. As we approach the city we see the famous El Kadimain Mosque (pronounced El Carzimane), one of the largest in the world, with its two golden domes and four minarets.
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31: THE "HANNO" AT BAGHDAD AIRPORT
In the illustration we see passengers at Baghdad Airport in front of the Hanno, in which they have flown from Alexandria. Baghdad Airport is very modern and is equipped with the latest devices for the safety of aeroplanes using the aerodrome; suitable provision has also been made for the comfort of passengers. Baghdad has been in existence for 4,000 years, but was of little importance until the Arab city was founded in the eighth century. In the ninth century it achieved fame as the capital of the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid, the Caliph of The Arabian Nights.
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32: ARCH OF CTESIPHON, IRAQ
Soon after leaving Baghdad, we see below us the ruins of the Arch of Ctesiphon, which is all that remains of the great Hall of the Palace of King Chosroes "the Blessed", A.D. 531-579. It was here that, in 1915, General Townshend fought an engagement with the Turks, after which he was forced to retire upon Kut-al-Amara, where he was besieged and, after a gallant resistance, captured by the Turks. We follow the River Tigris for 70 miles, leaving it as it turns eastward to Kut-al-Amara.
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33: THE "HANNO" AT MUHARRAK, PERSIAN GULF
Our next port of call is Basra, originally founded in A.D. 636, and which, of late years, has regained some if its former importance. Before landing we see, to the north, relics of the battle of Shaibah in 1915. From Basra our air liner flies to Kuweit, a great pearling centre on the Persian Gulf. We then follow the western coast of the Persian Gulf until we come to the islands of Bahrein and Muharrak, the headquarters of the pearling industry in the Persian Gulf.
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34: THE "HANNO" AT SHARJAH, PERSIAN GULF
At Sharjah, 4,140 miles from London, we come to the end of our day's air journey. Sharjah is on the Oman Peninsula at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, and the Sheikh of Sharjah, Sultan Ibn Saghiral Qasim, is keenly interested in the services. Where halts are necessary in the desert or in the bush, Imperial Airways have built rest houses for the use of its passengers, as, for example, here at Sharjah. The presence of a guard here reminds us of our remoteness from civilization.
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35: THE "HANNO" AT GWADAR, BALUCHISTAN
From Sharjah we cross the Oman Peninsula, then over the Gulf of Oman and along the Mekran coast, where the rocks are scattered in remarkable profusion. Many of them are of grotesque shape and are known to the Captains of Imperial Airways by special names. A few hours later we reach our next port of call, Gwadar, on the coast of Baluchistan. Our picture shows a camel train at Gwadar; the old form of transport contrasts vividly with the Hanno, a worthy representative of the newest means of travel.
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36: CATHEDRAL ROCK, GWADAR, BALUCHISTAN
After leaving Gwadar we see the rock formation of Jabal-i-Mehdi, part of which is known as the Cathedral Rock from its resemblance to a great cathedral. We continue our flight near the coast of Baluchistan until we see ahead of us the coast-line of India, and soon after flying overland, Karachi comes into view. At the beginning of the last century Karachi was little more than a village. It has now a population of over 260,000, and is the third port of India.
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37: THE "HANNO" AND THE "ATHENA" AT KARACHI AIRPORT
We see in this picture the air liner Hanno, of the Hannibal class (see Card No. 17), in which we have flown from Alexandria, and the Athena, of the Atalanta class (see card No. 22), in which we fly to Singapore. The Airport of Karachi deals with a large volume of traffic and is very well equipped. The route between Karachi and Singapore is operated by Imperial Airways and Indian Trans-Continental Airways. The latter company is in association with Imperial Airways.
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38: IN THE CABIN OF THE "ATHENA"
Our illustration shows the cabin of the Athena of the Atalanta class in which we cross India. This class of air liner has been especially designed for tropical flying, and our picture gives some idea of the comfortable accommodation provided. The seats can be lowered into a reclining position at the will of the passenger. After leaving Karachi, we fly over the southern portion of the Sind Delta until the River Indus is crossed. Beyond this point lies the irrigated are formed by a network of canals fed by the Sukkur or Lloyd Barrage.
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