Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile

by John Hanning Speke

Overview

John Hanning Speke (1827–1864) was a British army officer and explorer, remembered for his expeditions in search of the source of the Nile and his disputes with Richard Burton on that subject. On an expedition begun in 1856 Burton and Speke reached Lake Tanganyika together, but Speke travelled on alone to Lake Victoria. He controversially gave lectures about the lakes in London in 1859, without awaiting Burton's return. Speke returned to Africa later that year, leading an expedition organised by the Royal Geographical Society, to explore Lake Victoria and investigate whether it really was the source of the Nile. This book, published in 1863, describes the 1859 expedition's challenging and eventful journey through present-day Zanzibar, Tanzania and Uganda, and the indigenous peoples the explorers encountered. Speke made invaluable surveys of the area, but it was only after his death that his views about the Nile were finally proved correct.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108031233
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/19/2011
Series:	Cambridge Library Collection - African Studies
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	758
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

Born in England in 1827, John Hanning Speke ranks among the great nineteenth-century explorers of Africa. He is credited with the 1858 discovery of Lake Victoria in East Africa, one of the long-sought sources of the Nile. Because his claim was at first disputed, he undertook another expedition, with Captain James Grant, to confirm his original conclusion.

Table of Contents

1. London to Zanzibar, 1859; 2. Uzaramo; 3. Usagara; 4. Ugogo, and the wilderness of Mgunda Mkhali; 5. Unyamuezi; 6. Uzinza; 7. Usui; 8. Karague; 9. History of the Wahuma; 10. Karague and Uganda; 11. Palace, Uganda; 12. Palace, Uganda continued; 13. Palace, Uganda continued; 14. Palace, Uganda continued; 15. March down the northern slopes of Africa; 16. Bahr el Abiad; 17. Unyoro; 18. Unyoro continued; 19. The march to Madi; 20. Madi; Conclusion; Appendix.

Editorial Reviews

In this 1863 volume, Speke recounts how he discovered Lake Victoria in East Africa in 1858. The book is part natural history, part travelog, and part adventure tale.

Library Journal