surviving aircraft of a U.S. Navy PBY squadron from the Philippines arrived. Before leaving Surabaya, the crew was immunized against typhus, dysentery, and cholera. Ford took off from Surabaya burning their usual 100 octane and switched to the 76 octane after reaching cruising altitude. The engines backfired but kept running. NC18602 proceeded to Trincomalee, Ceylon. Trincomalee: On the way to Trincomalee on December 21, 1941, Ford ordered a descent from the cloud cover to determine the aircraft's location. The crew members saw a Japanese submarine on the surface and Ford ascended to avoid being shot down. At least one round was fired by the submarine but missed the aircraft. Upon arrival in Trincomalee, Ford reported sighting the submarine but the British air wing commander did not believe him. Ford and his crew departed Trincomalee on December 21, 1941, but an engine problem forced him to return to the base in Ceylon. They departed for Karachi, British India on December 26. Karachi: Upon arrival, Ford unloaded the boxed engine that he had been ordered to transport from Nouméa. He also learned that Pan American had ordered one of the two mechanics that had been aboard since Nouméa to remain in Karachi to help establish a maintenance base. Ford's flight engineers told him the variable pitch controller that controlled feathering propellers on one engine was faulty; repair would require at least one day. The base in Karachi did have aviation fuel and Ford was able to refuel with the 100 octane product. After all the tasks were completed, NC18602 departed Karachi early in the morning of December 28. Bahrain: Arriving approximately eight hours after leaving Karachi, Ford was told by the local military commander that only 76 octane fuel was available. He also received instructions to leave the remaining mechanic in Bahrain. When Ford filed his flight plan to his next stop in Khartoum, the British dispatcher told him that his plan took him over the holy city of Mecca, that Saudi Arabians objected to flights over that city, and that he would have to fly north to Kuwait before turning west. Ford agreed, filed an amended plan, and departed in the morning of December 29, 1941. After leaving Bahrain, Ford found sufficient cloud cover and turned west, overflying Mecca enroute to Khartoum. Khartoum, Sudan: Ford successfully landed NC18602 on the Nile River on December 29, 1941, where there was no wharf,