What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile

by John Hanning Speke

This text results from the merging of two simultaneous submissions at

Project Gutenberg; the first, from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr, and processed by David Kline, Carlo Traverso, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team; the second, scanned by JC Byers(www.wollamshram.ca/1001) and proofread by Maryann Short.

What Led To The Discovery

of the

Source Of The Nile

by
John Hanning Speke
Captain H.M. Indian Army

Author of 'Journal of the Discovery of the
Source of the Nile'

William Blackwood and Sons
Edinburgh and London
MDCCCLXIV

To
The Memory of
Lieutenant-General Sir Jas. Outram, Bart.
G.C.B.

Who First Gave Me A Start In Africa,
This History
Is Respectfully Inscribed.

Advertisement.

In offering this short connected history of my first two explorations in Africa, I must state that I have been urged to do so by friends desirous of knowing what led to the discovery of the source of the Nile. The greater part of it was originally published in 'Blackwood's Magazine;' but that lacked the connection which I have now given to the conclusion of my independent journey to and from the Victoria N'yanza, which is the great source or reservoir of the Nile. The manner in which I traced the Nile down from the Victoria N'yanza to Egypt is explained in my 'Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile.'

J. H. Speke.

Contents.
Journal of Adventures in Somali Land.

Chapter I.

Introduction to the Journal.—Projects and hobbies—Life in India—Lord Clyde and Sir James Outram—The position and physical geography of the Somali country—The Nogal country, and historical sketches—Costume and Customs.