Three-Wheeling Through Africa

Three-Wheeling Through Africa is an autobiographical book and a best seller written by James Calmar Wilson[1] in 1936 about the first motorcycle trip crossing the continent of Africa.[2]

James Wilson and Francis Flood were sailing around the coast of Africa as Flood was writing travel articles for his newspaper in the United States. On a lark, Wilson talked Flood into traversing the continent on 5 horse-power single-cylinder Triumph motorcycle. They encounter many trials along the way, often resorting to pushing the bikes where the paths were not suitable as they doggedly pursue a route through jungle and desert from Lagos, Nigeria to the Red Sea. Throughout the book Wilson refers to their adventure as the "Flood-Wilson Trans-African Motorcycle Expedition". Later Lowell Thomas encouraged him to write a book. It includes many encounters with tribal people, poisonous snakes and officers and expatriates from England and France in African colonies and outposts.[3] It was briefly reviewed in the Montreal Gazette in 1936.[1]

Only two years prior had any motor vehicle crossed the continent, that was by automobile. Flood and Wilson chose a route that took them above Lake Chad. Flood and Wilson are noted among long distance motorcycle riders.

List of cities, villages and forts listed in order by Wilson in the book
LocationDateMileageNote
Lagos, NigeriaNovember 100Atlantic Coast
AbeokutaNovember 1866
IbadanNovember 20114
IlorinNovember 25220
JebbaNovember 31275
Ushiba2 nights from Jebba
Bida, Nupe-landdeparted on December 54063 days from Jebba
Zungeru
Birnin Gwari
Zaria
Kano750
ZinderDecember 24
GoureDecember 25
Maine-SoroaDecember 31
N'Guigmi
Belaberum
Lade
Rig RigNorth of Lake Chad
Mao, Chad
Moussoro
D'Germana
Hemmina
Ati
Abeshermodern maps show "Abeche"
Adre
Geneinamodern maps show Al Junaynah
Kebkebia
Darfur
El Fashermodern maps show Al Fashir
El Obeid
Umm Ruwaba
Selima
Tendelti
Sennar Dam
Khartoum
Keren
MassawahRed Sea, Modern day Eritrea

Bibliography

Wilson, James Calmar (1938) [1936]. Three-wheeling Through Africa (fifth ed.). Blue Ribbon Books.

References
  1. "'Literary Log' from the Book Room". Montreal Gazette. October 31, 1936.
  2. Radel, Cliff (January 17, 2001). "Documentary in the Making: Westwood Couple Work to Tell Story of Explorers". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
  3. Wilson, James C. (2007). "Three-wheeling Through Africa". In Jenkins, Mark (ed.). Worlds to Explore: Classic Tales of Travel and Adventure from National Geographic. National Geographic Books. pp. 49–54. ISBN 978-1-4262-0044-1.
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