1954-08-21 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1954.

LONDON BY NIGHT

And what did we find ?

Monte Carlo by gaslight!

L

ONDON by night: "See the sights, Join in the fun." The conch tour lenvea Piccadilly every night at 8.40, and the promise is “an intimate sample of London's traditional and characteristic night life."

A guide, entrance charges, tips, and drinks are all included for £2 10.

Artist Hoffnung and I could hardly wait. At the coach station we found friendly American midshipman from a United States warship on his first-and- only night in London; a sturdy, bronzedł Un miner from

Malaya; and a BAKTERIORY Who said she

41)

mullees--and looked it.

DAVID LEWIN

and artist HOFFNUNG,

outside in a secluded street bendie kept watch and told the bours.

14

The guide saki the rest of the parky lately! *1-15 seter would go by car instead 1༣། 3%! of "mistry Pullinan kogest sailor sakek A, and tdi seven of The FearLense +Favs •Farew] into the tur nnd dogs off The

1. 193 gale introduced us

bury on the way.

The TS.

1-

to

We stopped

City

Very old put

ub w Use Den bilk

500 years

jmunka wrie on the tour The sabi sitie It was stien an old job he w suld have a very old drink, plexus-

The guide was continuing labs atory. He was keen anel hard- worklog, nad he would not teke a drink on duty

We were told there w

cu ange

the pub

192

* SO SAD

the

tan

midshipman, and I wandered pubide benile meet the

"Good- evening. Mr Bendle,"

When are you telling the next

follow the tourist trail around the town

Was 租

inuste

iritish music hall?” asked in miner sliting next to "Certainly," said,

Tho

me

We went on to Islington to DI Landan's sample. "spectul blend of tradition and

Itals Kalely *

A comedian came on to crack jaka. hali.

"Savager haven't got "London's oldest," Suid the alty money. That is what mice

the savage." He was No. 13 "All the sturs have pluy- Kulde

- Nurman here

Wladom, on the bill Gracie Feits. Charlie Chaplin, famous Unknown

day Real

British Cradle of variety." old British The real hall was presenting

Feilles." we walked m.

we sud.

one

the nox!

music hall.

that years Gave up doing

beadle sak the MKV,"

The 1.t tre J

juld for the BBC' "

the hour way

Te must have noticed the sad leks on our fores To cheer us up he sukt.

music

[

☆ SO QUAINT

OUT OF THE BLUE AT 20,000 FEET ANOTHER CATERPILLAR CLUB STORY

ripped out the pin which secured "jumped" out of the sun by his Sutton harnose. Then ho about 20 fighters which ho hevved up wildly to get himself thought were the (then), new out of the name"... but Messerschmitt 100 Fs, wero suN something stuck. What it was fighting in 0 Leneral melco he had no idea.

which hud progressively been losing height.

He kicked, henved and thrust -got his logs free-went out In the middle of in nil be over the side with the distinct realised that one Hurricane was thought in his mind that he had making steep turns directly kicked his parachute off, too, in around his parachute - and the general upheaval,

But in his own words as he cognised "Scotty," another 73

told me the story

"Something obviously

pilot, who was on Kuard to dis- seems to hup courage the Germans from their pen

to your light-hearted habit of shooting mind of a mo

down men who had had to bale out.

He hung ment like that.

from a blazing

I know I just didn't care. I

only wanted to

gel away from

Soon he was in an empty sky. Hurricane the dum fire." This did not surprise him. The sky can be full of a howling by his

Then he was

dog fight at one minute and oul, but pulled clear

the next. He roailsed, up with a ter- however, that he wns Dow rifle Jerk that squarely in the middle of the seemed to dis- Thames Estuary about

neck

FIRE DIVE

by Gerald Bowman

N

when Britain height. Sgt

September,

the

1940, radio Battle of room.

from

WAR

Phot

! its

(later

The care the nudes, "in-Lieut.) F. S. Perkia pre- glamour spretaule." They look-

e very tired and sad. "Gee, Ipared for his third opera- show wish I had brought my mother tional trip in a Hurricane volted "Monta Carlo Nude to this paid the midshipman, single-senter fighter with "It is kind of quaint." The tin Ko. 73 Squadron based on

"Curry Thut cer- Lindy

Castle Camps, Essex.

Gas lights flickered as

playing n "But you must ave The cherry tree that's growing In the pub."

"Change tree," we said with Authorit "Certainly nat." sald

"Cherry tree"

the bendle

A

On stage a coloured man was

trumpet against back-cloth which

showed that the scene was Harlem.

Next

on the Pollakova in a mysterious

bill was "dance of Enst." "Is

In A Jungle Hut George Eldridge

(who, once

upon distant time, came from Wembley)

1

Unusual."

uldde the guide quid: "Vary daring dus sort of show They don't allow nudes like that Lise West End." the thele

Dreams Of GOLD

A

BOUT 51. Bina.. hunch-shouldered,

with a far-away look

TOM STACEY

who described in

left

-that was young George Eldridge

when he

Wembley for Africa

back in 1930.

We

Way

found George Eldridge, now nearly 60, at home in his rush-roofed hut in the village of Ouendze. here in Moyen Congo, as we moved out northwards into

the forests of Gabon

to-

wards the Fang tribe.

it was night when

entered the village, and

left

We

We

it before sunrise. We

did not see Eldridge by day- light.

Wo could not enter his 14-

by-7ft but for the chutteis which lay about the flour, He put on an old Jacket and hur- riedly ushered us to the nearby but of two friends of his among this local Bateke tribe.

Here Eldridge, shaggy-haired and battered by life, who is so Uke some lost character from Conrad

the novels of Joseph

that we blinked in

our

belief, brought himself to

by

best- seller called "The Hostile Sun" how he found a tast tribe in Mainya. has taken new Journey to the in- known this time through the Jungles of Africa.

KERA

FREACT

EQUATORIAL

CAMEROONS

CONCO

TODAY'S report comes from Quendie. The map shows the ruute Stacey plans to take deeper into Africa.

yarning of

of the past. It was this." so long Fince he English,

had

spoken

J

as much about this country as I do Especially up there in the Cotrat poons. I kept

on ther after the others had left. I was trading in hides and pelts.

"But there's more than hides up there.

There's gold if you've

I looked at the posters to how

cradle of Brit yonety's would be

Betting

I

Wick The poster ounced "Paris by Night."

thur own London by Night" trup continued down City Roar it we ofter 10 and there

we hardly anyone about The tour

alkal ophist

about "Lit streets of the capita

said the gulde, "ann there our right in the Bu FLIT Firid

cemetery. Dan

his which

neck

11

WOS

Corneeled

which

Ave or

six miles from either the Kent or Essex count. There was no kind of shipping in sight, but there was a strip of sandbank,

When he splashed into the water and smacked undone the parachute harness release-cnich his mind was occupied with

How- thoughts of quicksand.

ever, he struck out for the sand- bank and found.

thankfu the control locate

that it was firm. Then he thal

reminded him the round of an engine and saw that he had not had time to the faithful Scotty again elrefin

wheels and In tight formation the squad unto his oxygen and h/T leads him slowly with

down at a on climbed up to 20,000 feet at which were fixed firmly inside aps

a height of about controller's the cockpit and which point the

to ten feet. In answer to his wave volen came over

to give his the radio: the belmet

went off AU Scolty WV CLA "Twenty escorted bandite

help. But he ap- strapped Ughtly round his head position and get pronching Burnham."

already been seen from the had For the next few seconds Per- shero and 20 minutes later kin hang by his neck and the during which he saw Jim Lang to which he was parachute down to the shore-a Hurricane

In a boat attached went diving down in a couple of shermen spin, leaving a trail of flame and enne rowing up to take him ou smoke, Then the helmet straps board. broke and he whirled head over

over the heels away

burning aircraft's tall hardly a text- book method of departure.

kept

very

The formation tight-three "V" of three air- At craft each and two weaving in the rear-two that is swinging from side to side as they new so that they could get wider of view all around and range

their Bius give warning to

of comrades

wise un other expected attack,

a

that time this satellite of Debden Aerodrome Wus nothing much more than few fields thrown into one with a bunch of Nise a huts and a marquee.

sense

coastline

and

the

When I was talking to (x- Sergt. Perkin the other day I asked him what he felt

about the whole incident now that he could look back on it over a perlod of 13 years. His reply was typical of the R.A.F. fighter cerning himself or pilol. It dealt with nothing con-

hla feelings.

own

For several second After days of being up

Serg Perkin somersaulted down before dawn he felt a slight

On this occasion the "wenvers" sky, enjoying the sensation of of luxury. The

were defeated in their duty by skin. The blissful

nice cool draught against burned Squadron were not due to

daze how- the brilliant sun. Neither they ever, wore off be at readiness until 9 a.m.. mr any others of the Squadrons thought of his paruchute. Had again he so they slothfully lay in bed saw the enemy attack"

which until 7.30

a.m., and then was coming at them out of the it really gone?. It hadn't

on the took their time

glare. With his eye over gre

He found the release ring, "My dear old Boy," he said, below Perkin was just gave it a hearty wrench dressing and breakfast. The marking the town of Colchester found that it came out, trailing the clottishiy close formation wo and the whole thing was due to they lounged about

with his ultimeter showing about a yard

when

of cord. This used to fly In those days. Nearly ceiving " "bind" оп the around 22,000 feet

thene decided him that the pack had everyone was watching everyone ☆ SO WONDERFUL formation to be adopted beneath his engine as an enemy how, and he was tensing himser else instead of keeping his eyes was an explosion immediately

probably been shot away any- Then the telephone rang cannon-shell struck. In and the hut was filled with moment his cockpit was envelop plunging bodies ан orders ed in flames blasting back from were velled for a scramble the ignited reserve tank directly

in front of him. the Thames Estuary

Perkit could feel the skin of

At this point he realised that at 20,000 feet, there to wait his hands and face shrivelling as he was by no means alone. The for further orders over the ho tore the hood back and Squadron, which hnd been

Defoe, the author of Robinau Cruze is buried there."

11:1

We wept on through ու deserted Chy and along the Embankment live with lights,

Our next stop was Soho a French pub. We all cheert.

enormously pticr th ameters and walked on to our last step--a three-course meal and an International floor show at a late night restaurant.

In Piccadilly the midshipmar met some of his buddies from hb. ship. "I muoti & tour" $2 told them. "Gee-am 1 having

wonderful tunel the town."

I'm

The gulde sald goedge and asked him if this was rea

over

A

N-

and ho found

for his fate when there was an asked to get jumped by the Hun open all round him. We just almighty jerk that the canopy was open, sup- porting him Armly.

in the sin."

Next Seven

week: "Bomber

Boy" in Trouble.

CONQUISTADORS GOA'S RUINS

OF

IN

SPIRIT AWAKES

jungle beneath

carved

out

His people had

all

got the money to work i And Lon.lon we had seen, "Well, that's not the only kold other be suld. "We try to show vary-

seen it God.

By A Special Correspondent people don't know about ining sides of life We try to do

- before; they had learned long LATIN melody flouts these parts.

in London what the Paris by

ago how to endure in the Eart We unrolled our maps on the Night and Rome by Night tour across the bay from u Hives a blender excuse to Indian But Goa has something worth amidst envy and hostility. Had earthen floor and turned up the do abroad. But, of course, you scratchy gramophone. On claims on Giou. The old terrl big money now, the rawly- not the garrison of "A Famosa," wick

of the lamp. But Eldridge can't

24 Paris tour

the quarter-deck of a little tury is obviously a little haven opened iron ore and manganese the great 17th century fort at said: "No, I'm not Buished yet, Lounty," The in miner satt

of mince which are bringing wealth Malacca, once held out againit I'm not

Just where "Well, it is quite a change from patchily-painted Portuguese of civilisation The

blockade for five towering to the little state. The Gonnese attack and the gold len

Malaya.

went insio frigate, figures show hazily hate the and wi

mountaing reparal- do not share in the riches direct rations? It did not prevent I could

make tut if the restaurata in time for me in the Bun's siesta-time ing Goo from India. without ly. The mines are run by a them raising Malayo's" inest Eldridge was pleased to see us toor show, "Les Petites Folles. shimmer. But even at this any sense of colour bor, the Japanese-Indian combine. The historic buildings. or not. He just spoke on, with The waiter produced a mem distance the embossed bung Portuguese have mingled with labourers are Indians, come to Before that Bartholomeu Dlaz his hands claspod round one and the committee weman suud;

new make a better iKS,

had sailed East, and Columbus knee, telling of tribal rites and feel almost human now plugging the gun muzzle Jocal races to produce a

people.

West, into an unknown of mora hidden ivory, secret sociclics My last meat was one of those shows like a full-stop to any

The Goanese wear European infancy, and there are no trade faces the first space travellers. Labour relations are in their terror and less knowledge than action stations.

ekohes. Their houses are sub-

unions Here is where trouble Buoying them up was not only

telling

not

and lost adventurers.

Timber man

TE said: "I had a forest once

HE

in the Belgian Congo. I made £12,000 out of that,

The

Wo

used to float the timber down- stream after we had branded knocked them to- loga

and gother Into rafts. Once I branded my finger.

in Panjim, stantial. They occupy nearly allies. The labourers are potential the material

a 100

the 3,000 government and of-

It is the same Gou's capital of 15,000. Up creaky stair, the bare omeo

of

papera

the

the

QU

out.

ribbons

ko

the

citizens and devout

Catholics.

CAREFUL LIFE

them

strength of the

LASTING MARKS

They produced men such Saint Francis Xaxler, revered

is

not truo Arc

claim about 7,000

Supporters. This is a mere three percent of courtices thousands of Hindus

and Moslems who have the Goanese in God. Compared to pay homage at his marble with all Goanese throughout

tomb in Goa throughout the confurios.

Grog

coin

cial posts, All Goandse have an fuel to agents who aim to stir Knights Templar, but also their

spirituni mith. wilts under the Blow swith- Inalienable right in their village up anti-Portuguese feeling.

Another group is the United wish of the fan. The bundles properties, even they return

nany of lie An

after many years abroad, and Front of dance. But lawyer doods. They comprise they are happy to be Portuguese them do not live in Goa. Their headquarters are in Bombay. the "nuing system of

Many of one of Portuguese-born They resent being called "It Goanese, and altogether they act only by Christians but by 30 of oficiais.

•The Ho

"situa- dians."

Stud- Eating in the dark,

is beyond the "Old Con- tion the first territory committi teas. Why do they etablished in 1510- past the siways serve sich mall catesally pointed walls, and

t But the people of the "Old Enst, the fraction is in ot committee tear?"

comfortable verandahed houses Conquesta" are mostly Hindu. Even now, with storm The cabaret was bright, ener- of

trugal, good-living They live a carefree life, but it from India still

Wherever they have gone, overhead, Cun-Cala and gay. Tho

Goanose who count 234,000 is happinces in the dust, with a

stablo Mttle а kicked. Low Stone and girls

place, the Portuguese have left lastog Christima among their his band played. We managed

ranks. few scrawny hens and a shanty But the languor and mouldering manis. They are a hardy raca and do not give in. Thinking Many of them are re grace is, of course, deceptive. the to find our plates when

Quiot

through reigns even theghts dimined, and changed

everyone the palms waving over

mistaker. Fortunately ha it nt agreed to mis coffte because

labourers glad to come to easy- tore of appearing on the brink fire sold the wood brands, and

of old Goa, suins

th Viet

zecine in reaŝlso it. was not included in the charge magnificent cromantis of (Leopoldville).

the going, Gon. Altogether they out of decay.. Leo

The tin miner sald it

About Behind than number the Goonese

the patient smile and Acrosa the There's plenty

wine-stained of ways of

East arch of greator, size quite a night. The

brown eyes of the tabics of Pantim's cafes, the 100,000, They give Nehru Com-London at the time. Even the making money out here." E went on; "It's the white

women

millee woman cald:

"I've "New Conquests-added

official, The young EXCUSO to talk of "freeing" the In

who stamped Goonese do not pretend to be рарств with grand a happy who. Africa for us.

ns they were. But have ruined broken sandals-seeing tho

1759-is half neloep amidst its Indians and of taking over Goa. dno's When

Over all Gos, Portugal or medinoval seni, was a hint of

smile I first brown-haired, hunch-shouldered midshipman gripped my

Laky

at they discuss a simple rule. It steoly courage and inbred win India's next move. Morally came out, for the U.A.C. (United lad, the tired old man with a

mally wields

at Africa Company)

and said (his cincerity Ww

guing nothing from Goa financial-dom of Eastem ways, In him sicunt, the first round has gone In the distant eye, Cameroons, we lived on equal

evident): "Do

you

But there is a difference bee ly. No Portuguese business has was, perhaps, the spirit of the to ting Goa. Meanwhile, more supposo "Ay-yay, I made £12,000. terms with the Africans,

Parin has anything as good as twren the two "Conquests." Its nameplate up in the winding conquistador in plumed helmet frigates are due soon to anchor Next time it'll be £20,000.

this?"

The contrast between them streets. There is no income tax, and breastplate. ·

in the bay. "Now don't you go asking for

to acknowledge that

Wats Just about

"But I

monty Was moking un he joked, "I can't go

stuffing then. Timber went well. life

Myer with wal illne 1x2 "There was one man I know who came out 20 or 30 years that at first he found Eldridge, who would be the first

Which, being sold by George go with nothing but a rlile and It difficult

to construci his

a bagful of rounds. He founded suc sentences graminatically.

he does his fortune on other people's "I wonder if you know Tun- socloty,

not move much among critical timber. He shot the loggers as bridge Wells" he mid.

the they floated down on "I went to school

rafts, there

But that was in the Great War. It must have changed a bit." [Does any First World War schoolboy of Tun- bridge Wells remeniber little brown-hatred Eldridge, with the hunched shoulders and brown cyes dreaming?}

THE

His scars

loneliest joke ever did hear, timber

White women

up

been

110

hnd

the, and others are immigrant The Portuguese arp paat mad- they would submit was Nehru's

I glanced at Eldridge. in his earned a lot about radu temples with their danc-

any.

HE old man leaned forward "Then the first woman came mesenges to take back home

on his box stool. The scars out from home. She was Uto from me. I haven't got

wife. That Wal all And I'm sorry I can't,” ask you She was busy nursing. to stay the night at my place."

across his nose and chin were doe's,

shadowed dop by our

Burr- right,

cane Lamp. His thick arms were

pimpled with "prickly heat,"

"But then the socond one

Wo

Sweet sleep

The nice clinrmingt

пат

Bng girls,

JOHNNY HAZARD

THERE, THERE, NICKI„AN'T NOBODY GONNA HARIA A HAIR

When I was 20, he went came out. Our young engineer on in his slow, quiet drawi, " had got married on leave, wanted to go to the South Seas all started to shave a bit and to join what we used to call a have a wash before sitting down THERE were only three hours

atation for the old to our chop' (food).

of night left for us. Your YORE HEAD HOT WHILE ME companion.

AM LI'L JAWN ARE HERE! My

"That it, a dainty morsel of wouldn't let me go. But no ono nover saw a just about. We site in at time, all very

corni

could stop me coming

Then

Afrion when I was 24.

cut to houso after that, except he was mucculent whch you have been

Since welting at table, or fiddling humping nickick - ncross for of about with someone" laundry.” Afriian countryside

He snatched Incident after In hours of day-light.

the

11

I've only been out Africa once-11 years ago."

Brian, my African companion, cident from his memory: Bome-Wo shook hands 'outside booked

all a dins » meal of times it seemed that he had among the racketing bull troug Curry on our nine inch alcohol forgotten us, and that his rain the grasses George Eldridge,

se

how Alled out our collections were speaking then out where his chatheld chicord

above average for animarum fog

would not be SLDAS

abulyas not allok: the floor reale, themacatis, skute

B.but you DON'T KNOW ESCARRE!

THE LITTLE LADY'S GOT BOWARTHING, LOW-NDON! AND [ER, THAT VÁS ESCARPMS,'HA

KNOWS WHERE NICKI IS NOW!

by

the counteous

By Frank Robbins

50、 SINCE Keis come BUCH À LONG WAY TO SEE

US, LET'S GIVE HIM A REAL : RKGREATÇIS WHEN HE ARRIV

·

situation alls for

San Miguel

X