Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #118 begins on 03 Oct 2024

John Hanning Speke

JOURNAL OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE SOURCE OF THE NILE

With map and portraits and numerous illustrations chiefly from drawings by Captain Grant.

Published: William Blackwood and Sons, London, 1863

Edition: First edition

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1 volume. First edition 1863.

xxxi, 658 pages.

34 page original publishers catalogue.

Portrait frontispiece.

Portrait plate on page 420.

24 full-page plates.

1 fold-out map in front pocket.

1 full-page colour map.

In-text illustrations.

Sporadic foxing

John Hanning Speke, 1827-1864. He accompanied Richard Francis Burton

on his 1854-5 Somali Expedition, then again on the 1857-9 East Africa

expedition, which aimed to find the sources of the Nile. The expedition

discovered Lake Tanganyika in 1858, and explored part of its extent.

Speke supposed that Lake Victoria, which he  discovered and named,

while off on a foray of his own to the North of the chief route of

the expedition, was the source of the Nile.

Speke later returned to lead his own expedition, 1860-3, accompanied

by James Augustus Grant. They confirmed that Lake Victoria is the

chief reservoir of the Nile, though controversy over the question

was kept alive for another decade, largely because of Burton's vigorous

opposition. Burton supposed the Tanganyika was the Nile reservoir,

and that Victoria was a seasonal collection of lakes or lagoons with

no outlet.  Speke died in a hunting accident in 1864. 

[http://www.burtoniana.org/speke/]

Recorded shipping weight 2000g

Shipped and insured by recorded delivery.

  • Binding Condition: Very good
  • Overall Condition: Very good
  • Size: 22 x 17 cm
  • Sold By: West Clare Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Tom Moloney
  • Country: Ireland
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 0657087803
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Credit Cards - PayPal - Cheque.
  • Trade Associations: AA Approved


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