Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile.
by SPEKE, John Hanning
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Edinburgh, Blackwood, 1863. . First edition, 8vo, xxxi, [1], 658 pp., 32 pages ads at end (one dated April june 1863), engraved frontispiece portrait of Speke (lightly foxed), engraved portrait of Grant, 24 engraved plates, 2 maps (1 folding), illustrations in text, original brown cloth gilt, gilt pictorial vignette to upper cover, light wear, a very good copy.
The account of Speke's third and final expedition to Africa. This took place in 1860 with his friend and fellow Indian army officer James Grant (1827-1892) on an expedition organized by the Royal Geographic Society and supported by the British government. Their purpose was to explore the Victoria Nyanza area and confirm Speke's earlier view that the lake was the source of the White Nile.
Back in England, Speke was showered with honours and feted by the Royal Geographical Society. But doubts of his claim remained, voiced particularly by Burton, primarily because Speke had not followed the Nile from Karuma Falls to Gondokoro. (Using Speke's maps, Baker would discover what Speke had thereby missed: Lake Albert.) A debate with his former friend-turned-nemesis Burton was arranged for 16 September 1864 to settle the matter; however, on that morning word arrived that Speke had died in a gun accident. Some thought it was a suicide, for he was known as an accomplished sportsman and hunter. Speke and Grant's successes are undisputed, however: they were the first Europeans to cross equatorial eastern Africa, and their explorations added more than 500 miles to the known geography of the area. Today Lake Victoria and its feeder streams are considered the sources of the White Nile.
Hilmy II, p255.
The account of Speke's third and final expedition to Africa. This took place in 1860 with his friend and fellow Indian army officer James Grant (1827-1892) on an expedition organized by the Royal Geographic Society and supported by the British government. Their purpose was to explore the Victoria Nyanza area and confirm Speke's earlier view that the lake was the source of the White Nile.
Back in England, Speke was showered with honours and feted by the Royal Geographical Society. But doubts of his claim remained, voiced particularly by Burton, primarily because Speke had not followed the Nile from Karuma Falls to Gondokoro. (Using Speke's maps, Baker would discover what Speke had thereby missed: Lake Albert.) A debate with his former friend-turned-nemesis Burton was arranged for 16 September 1864 to settle the matter; however, on that morning word arrived that Speke had died in a gun accident. Some thought it was a suicide, for he was known as an accomplished sportsman and hunter. Speke and Grant's successes are undisputed, however: they were the first Europeans to cross equatorial eastern Africa, and their explorations added more than 500 miles to the known geography of the area. Today Lake Victoria and its feeder streams are considered the sources of the White Nile.
Hilmy II, p255.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Shapero Rare Books (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 103546
- Title
- Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile.
- Author
- SPEKE, John Hanning
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- Edinburgh, Blackwood, 1863.
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Shapero Rare Books
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London, London
About Shapero Rare Books
Specialising in rare books on Travel & Voyages, Natural History, Literature (including modern first editions), Children's Books, Guide Books, Judaica & Hebraica, titles of Russian interest, and Islamica.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...