1865 Nile Debate - SPEKE - GRANT - BURTON CONTRADICTION

Title: Nile Basins and Nile Explorers.

Publisher: London: Blackwood's, 1865

Notes & Condition:    A speculative dissertation, contemporary to the controversy surrounding Captains Burton, Speke and Grant, arousing empassioned opinions on the already heightened sensitivity of Speke's claim and Burton's rebuke. Excerpts are drawn from Richard F Burton's 'Nile Basin' and from James A Grant's 'A Walk Across Africa,' both published in 1864, as well as from a letter from Speke to Grant dated June 1864. Fascinating for its insight into contemporary turmoil and discord emanating from the pioneering Africa expeditions, the author is most reverent toward Grant. 18 pages. These are the original pages printed in 1865, in excellent condition, attractively bound booklet style in modern blue paper covers with label.

Speke published his 'Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile' in 1863.

The following year, Burton and James McQueen published jointly 'The Nile Basin' which firmly disagreed with Speke's conclusions, and included Burton's interpretations of Speke's explorations.

Also in 1864, Grant also published his work, titled 'A Walk Across Africa, or Domestic Scenes from my Nile Journal,' which remains one of the most elusive of early African exploring books. Meant as a companion to Speke's account of the journey, Grant's volume explored the "ordinary life and pursuits, the habits and feelings of the natives" and the economic potential of the countries they traveled.

John Hanning Speke joined Sir Richard Burton in his expeditions to Somaliland in 1854 and to East central Africa from 1857-59. Together they discovered Lake Tanganyika; then Speke continued alone and discovered Lake Victoria, which he believed to be a source of the Nile. Burton disputed his discovery, but Speke was quickly given command of a follow-up expedition in 1860. James Grant accompanied Speke on his journey across Africa to solve the riddle of the source of the Nile. Together they discovered the sources of the Nile in 1863.

For discovering "conclusive proof" that the Nile issued from Lake Victoria Nyanza, Speke was awarded a gold medal from the Royal Geographic Society. His claims, however, were still widely disputed. Speke had supposedly established the theory of the origin of the Nile as being Lake Tanganyika, although this would be later corrected by Stanley as being located at Nyanza. Speke and Burton planned a debate on the issue, but the day prior to the meeting Speke was killed in an untimely hunting accident on 15th September 1864. Burton never fully recovered from Speke's death, partly blaming himself for this senseless tragedy.