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pubOne.info present you this new edition. John Hanning Speke was a man of thirty-six, when his Nile Journal appeared. He had entered the army in 1844, and completed ten years of service in India, serving through the Punjab Campaign. Already he had conceived the idea of exploring Africa, before his ten years were up, and on their conclusion he was appointed a member of the expedition preparing to start under Sir Richard (then Lieutenant Burton) for the Somali country. He was wounded by the Somalis, and returned to England on sick leave; the Crimean War then breaking out, be served through it, and later, December 1856, joined another expedition under Burton. Then it was that the possibility of the source of the Nile being traced to one of the inland lakes seems to have struck him.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819947271
Langue	English

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Editor's Note
John Hanning Speke was a man of thirty-six, when hisNile Journal appeared. He had entered the army in 1844, andcompleted ten years of service in India, serving through the PunjabCampaign. Already he had conceived the idea of exploring Africa,before his ten years were up, and on their conclusion he wasappointed a member of the expedition preparing to start under SirRichard (then Lieutenant Burton) for the Somali country. He waswounded by the Somalis, and returned to England on sick leave; theCrimean War then breaking out, be served through it, and later,December 1856, joined another expedition under Burton. Then it wasthat the possibility of the source of the Nile being traced to oneof the inland lakes seems to have struck him.
Burton's illness prevented him accompanying Speke onthe latter's visit to the lake now known as Victoria Nyanza. Duringthis expedition Speke reached the most southerly point of the lake,and gave it its present name. Speke arrived back in England in thespring of 1859, Burton being left behind on account of his illness.The relations between the two had become strained, and this wasaccentuated by Speke's hast to publish the account of hisexplorations. He was given the command of another expedition whichleft England in April 1860, in company with Captain James AugustusGrant, to ascertain still further if the Victoria Nyanza wereindeed the source of the Nile. He met Sir Samuel Baker, to whom hegave valuable assistance, and who with his clue discovered thethird lake, Albert Nyanza.
Speke telegraphed early in 1863, that the Nilesource was traced. Returning to England that year he met with anovation, and addressed a special meeting of the GeographicalSociety, and the same year, 1863, published his “Journal of theDiscovery of the Nile. ” Opposed in his statements by Burton andM'Queen (“The Nile Basin, 1864”), it was arranged that he andBurton should meet for a debate, when on the very day fixed, Spekeaccidentally shot himself while out partridge-shooting.
Sir R. Murchison, addressing the Royal GeographicalSociety that year, speaks of Speke's discovery of the source of theNile as solving the “problem of all ages. ”
Only two books were published by Speke— the“Journal” of 1863, which follows, and its sequel— “What Led to theDiscovery of the Source of the Nile, ” which appeared in the yearof his death, 1864.
Introduction.
In the following pages I have endeavoured todescribe all that appeared to me most important and interestingamong the events and the scenes that came under my notice during mysojourn in the interior of Africa. If my account should notentirely harmonise with preconceived notions as to primitive races,I cannot help it. I profess accurately to describe native Africa—Africa in those places where it has not received the slightestimpulse, whether for good or evil, from European civilisation. Ifthe picture be a dark one, we should, when contemplating these sonsof Noah, try and carry our mind back to that time when our poorelder brother Ham was cursed by his father, and condemned to be theslave of both Shem and Japheth; for as they were then, so theyappear to be now— a strikingly existing proof of the HolyScriptures. But one thing must be remembered: Whilst the people ofEurope and Asia were blessed by communion with God through themedium of His prophets, and obtained divine laws to regulate theirways and keep them in mind of Him who made them, the Africans wereexcluded from this dispensation, and consequently have no idea ofan overruling Providence or a future state; they therefore trust toluck and to charms, and think only of self-preservation in thisworld. Whatever, then, may be said against them for being tooavaricious or too destitute of fellow-feeling, should ratherreflect on ourselves, who have been so much better favoured, yethave neglected to teach them, than on those who, whilst they aresinning, know not what they are doing. To say a negro is incapableof instruction, is a mere absurdity; for those few boys who havebeen educated in our schools have proved themselves even quickerthan our own at learning; whilst, amongst themselves, the deepnessof their cunning and their power of repartee are quite surprising,and are especially shown in their proficiency for telling lies mostappropriately in preference to truth, and with an off-handed mannerthat makes them most amusing.
With these remarks, I now give, as an appropriateintroduction to my narrative— (1. ) An account of the generalgeographical features of the countries we are about to travel in,leaving the details to be treated under each as we successivelypass through them; (2. ) A general view of the atmospheric agentswhich wear down and so continually help to reduce the continent,yet at the same time assist to clothe it with vegetation; (3. ) Ageneral view of the Flora; and, lastly, that which consumes it, (4.) Its Fauna; ending with a few special remarks on the Wanguana, ormen freed from slavery.
Geography
The continent of Africa is something like a dishturned upside down, having a high and flat central plateau, with ahigher rim of hills surrounding it; from below which, exterially,it suddenly slopes down to the flat strip of land bordering on thesea. A dish, however, is generally uniform in shape— Africa is not.For instance, we find in its centre a high group of hillssurrounding the head of the Tanganyika Lake, composed chiefly ofargillaceous sandstones which I suppose to be the Lunae Montes ofPtolemy, or the Soma Giri of the ancient Hindus. Further, insteadof a rim at the northern end, the country shelves down from theequator to the Mediterranean Sea; and on the general surface of theinterior plateau there are basins full of water (lakes), fromwhich, when rains overflow them, rivers are formed, that, cuttingthrough the flanking rim of hills, find their way to the sea.
Atmospheric Agents
On the east coast, near Zanzibar, we find the rainsfollowing the track of the sun, and lasting not more than fortydays on any part that the sun crosses; whilst the winds blow fromsouth-west or north-east, towards the regions heated by itsvertical position. But in the centre of the continent, within 5° ofthe equator, we find the rains much more lasting. For instance, at5° south latitude, for the whole six months that the sun is in thesouth, rain continues to fall, and I have heard that the same takesplace at 5° north; whilst on the equator, or rather a trifle tonorthward of it, it rains more or less the whole year round, butmost at the equinoxes, as shown in the table on the following page.The winds, though somewhat less steady, are still verydeterminable. With an easterly tending, they deflect north andsouth, following the sun. In the drier season they blow so coldthat the sun's heat is not distressing; and in consequence of this,and the average altitude of the plateau, which is 3000 feet, thegeneral temperature of the atmosphere is very pleasant, as I foundfrom experience; for I walked every inch of the journey dressed inthick woollen clothes, and slept every night between blankets.
The Number of Days on which Rain fell (more or less)during the March of the East African Expedition from Zanzibar toGondokoro.
1860 Days on 1861 Days on 1862 Days on
which which which
rain fell rain fell rain fell
* * January 19 January 14
* * February 21 February 1 12
* * March 17 March 21
* * April 17 April 27
* * May 3 May 26
* * June 0 June 20
* * July 1 July 22
* * August 1 August 20
* * September 9 September 18
October 2 October 11 October 27
November 0 November 17 November 20
December 20 December 16 December 6
Flora
From what has been said regarding the condition ofthe atmosphere, it may readily be imagined that Africa, in thoseparts, after all, is not so bad as people supposed it was; for,when so much moisture falls under a vertical sun, all vegetablelife must grow up almost spontaneously. It does so on the equatorin the most profuse manner; but down at 5° south, where there aresix months' drought, the case is somewhat different; and the peoplewould be subject to famines if they did not take advantage of theirrainy season to lay in sufficient stores for the fine: and here wetouch on the misfortune of the country; for the negro is too lazyto do so effectively, owing chiefly, as we shall see presently, towant of a strong protecting government. One substantial fact hasbeen established, owing to our having crossed over ten degrees oflatitude in the centre of the continent, or from 5° south to 5°north latitude, which is this: There exists a regular gradation offertility, surprisingly rich on the equator, but decreasingsystematically from it; and the reason why this great fertile zoneis confined to the equatorial regions, is the same as that whichhas constituted it the great focus of water or lake supply, whenceissue the principal rivers of Africa. On the equator lie therainbearing influences of the Mountains of the Moon. The equatorialline is, in fact, the centre of atmospheric motion.
Fauna
In treating of this branch of natural history, wewill first take man— the true curly-head, flab-nosed, pouch-mouthednegro— not the Wahuma. 2 They are well distributed all over theselatitudes, but are not found anywhere in dense communities. Theirsystem of government is mostly of the patriarchal character. Someare pastorals, but most are agriculturalists; and this difference,I believe, originates solely from want of a stable government, toenable them to reap what they produce; for where the negro can savehis cattle, which is his wealth, by eating grain, he will do it. Inthe same way as all animals, whether wild or tame, require a guideto lead their flocks, so do the negroes find it necessary to havechiefs over their villages and little communities, who are theirreferees on all domestic or political questions. They have boththeir district and their village chiefs, but, in the countries weare about to travel over, no kings such as