March 23

She is certainly overloaded aft. Roar down the field, as we all jam forward as much as possible, and make a beautiful take-off at 0810. Bangalore and India are lovely down there through the morning clouds, vanish, and we are in a world of sunshine and cotton wool, as unreal and peaceful as this morning on earth was actual and tempestuous. 0920 – Rain and fog, much bouncing about, and a bad yawing. Glimpses of wooded hills, palm forests, water everywhere, rice ponds diked off, river with ships. Look! There’s a bark, lots of steamers. We circle over the port of Cochin, land at 0940 and step out into a Turkish bath..

Wait for them to gas as we mop out brows, climb into the sizzling plane and take off at 1015. British are always gay shipmates under any circumstances. Ascend over swamps, ponds, palms and bogs, out over thick country trees and greens, most pleasant after desert. ... 1120 – The southernmost coast of India moves slowly north and astern and we fly out over the tepid waters of the Indian Ocean, bound for the tropical Island of Ceylon, Port of Colombo. ... More ponds and water-covered rice patches, the town straggles on red roofed ends, and we land beyond at 1220. Step out into a moist hothouse like air, under a scorching sun..