What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile

John Hanning Speke's 1864 narrative of exploration in Africa, identifying Lake Victoria as the source of the White Nile.

In the 1850s John Hanning Speke made two expeditions to Africa, the first to Somalia inspiring the second to East Africa. This 1864 book presents his memoirs of both ventures, and his identification of Lake Victoria as the source of the White Nile, a claim verified only after his death.John Hanning Speke (1827–64) was an officer in the British Indian Army, best known for his explorations of Africa. In the 1850s he embarked on two major expeditions there, the first, to Somalia, inspiring the second, to East Africa, during which he endeavoured to locate the source of the White Nile. This book of 1864 brings together his memoirs of both ventures, in which he draws connections between the two, and provides dramatic recollections of his endurance of captivity, attack, and tropical disease. Despite the obstacles he faced, on his second mission he identified Lake Victoria as the Nile's source; however his claims were heavily contested, as the loss of vital equipment had left questions about its altitude and extent unanswered. The lake was eventually proved to be the source after Speke's tragic death from a gunshot wound, making these memoirs a cornerstone in the historical geography of Africa.