Carl Stearns Clancy the American motorcycle adventurer visited Ceylon in 1912.
Charles Stearns Clancy rode a 1912 Henderson Motorcycle like this one in Sri Lanka a hundred years ago.
A Shop on the Kandy Road in 1910.
Galle Road Colombo in the 1900s.
Carl Stearns Clancy was the first motorcyclist to travel around the world in 1912-1913. In 1912 riding his Henderson motorcycle Carl Stearns Clancy travelled from Rome in Italy by ship to Colombo, Ceylon. He landed at the Colombo Harbour and then proceeded to explore Colombo.
Clancy travelled on those dirt roads all the way to Sigiriya where he climbed up all those steps to see the famous Sigiriya frescoes. He stayed at the Rest House in Sigiriya. In fact wherever he travelled in Ceylon in 1912 he stayed in Rest Houses and ate the local Rice and Curry. He was the first explorer to visit Ceylon on a motorcycle.
In Clancy’s Boots by Geoff Hill.
A book has been written by Geoff Hill called ‘In Clancy’s Boots,’ tracing that famous 1912 Motorcycle journey by Carl Stearns Clancy and published in 2012.
Read the Irish Times feature on Clancy in Ceylon:
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/cs-clancy-centenary-ride-in-ceylon-with-no-money-he-reigned-like-a-prince-100-years-later-for-us-it-just-rained-1.1401676
Vernon Corea 1927-2002 