energies on the stretch to guard himself from the attacks of open foes or the treachery of pretended friends, have gained for him the admiration of all who read his travels, and place him among the first of African travellers.
Chapter Thirteen.
Captain Speke’s discoveries of the Source of the Nile.
Speke’s previous career—Joins an expedition to the Somali country—The Somali—Arrive at Berbera—Attacked by robbers—His escape and return to Aden, and finally to England—Joins Captain Burton in an expedition to the Mountains of the Moon—Sets out for Bombay, and afterwards to Zanzibar—Engage Sheikh Said and their escort—Cross to Kaole—Arrive at Caze, and received by the Arab merchants—Porters desert—Illness of Captain Burton, and carried to Zimbili—Sets out with fresh porters—A sight of the Tanganyika Lake—The Mountains of the Moon—Nearly blind—Up the lake to Ujiji—Arrive at Kawele—Their journey on the lake continued—An alarm—Camp at night—Shells—A storm—Arrive at Sultan Casanga’s territory—The people—Arrive at the fish market of Kabizia—A singa—Cross to Kasenge—Reception—The Chief described—The results of slavery—Hears of a large river—Cannot obtain a boat—Returns to Ujiji—Sets out to explore a river that falls into the lake—Tricks of the paddlers—Returns to Ujiji—Help arrives—Returns to Cazé—Sets out to explore the country in the neighbourhood of the Nyanza Lake—Tricks of his escort—Villages described—Detained by a Sultana—The reception she gives Speke—Illness in the caravan—Inon—Leaving Isamiro, the Nyanza appears in sight—The scene—He called the lake Victoria Nyanza—Descends to Muanza—The source of the Nile!—Return journey, and arrives at Caze—Arrives with Captain Burton in England.
Captain, then Lieutenant, John Hanning Speke, the son of a gentleman of property in England, was an officer in the Indian army, and had taken part under Lord Gough in the great battles of Ramnugger, Chillianwalla, and others. He had, at intervals during leave, travelled in the Himalaya Mountains, as well as through other parts of India and in Thibet, for the purpose of collecting specimens of the fauna of those regions to form a museum in his father’s house. While thus occupied, he formed the design of traversing Africa as soon as he could obtain furlough, visiting the Mountains of the Moon and descending the Nile with the same object in view.
At the end of ten years’ service, on obtaining furlough, hearing that an expedition was to be sent by the Indian Government, under the command of Lieutenant Burton, to explore the Somali country, a large tract lying due south of Aden, and separated from the Arabian coast by the Gulf of Aden, he offered his services, and was accepted. Two other Indian officers, Lieutenants Stroyan and Heme, also joined the expedition.
The Somali are Mahommedans, descendants of Arabs who have intermarried with negroes. They are a savage, treacherous race, noted for their cheating and lying propensities; in figure tall, slender, light, and agile, scarcely darker than Arabs, with thin lips and noses, but woolly heads like negroes. Their ancestors, having taken possession of the country, drove out its former Christian inhabitants, who retreated northward.
Caravans, however, pass through their country to their only port and chief market, Berbera, which at the time of the fair is crowded with people, though entirely deserted for the rest of the year.