The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-09-27 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF CAPTAIN SPEER

I The remains of the gallant but unfortaeste dio,
°oyster of the mores of the Bile, the author of twer
of the most interesting books of travel ever written,
were quietly laid in their last earthly resting plows,
on the aftrooon of Friday lei, lamented not only
by his family and friends, but by the satire English
people. There was something particularly touching
to see the vast funeral prommion wending its way
down the hill, and to reflect that he, who in the
service of his country in India, and in the coarse
of his dangerous travels in Africa, had been
face to farm with death hundred. of tiObel, but 'bray.
by a run of good fortune, sucoesded us escaping
from his perith should have been thot down by bla
own gun at the hedge side in his own country
Had be been an ordinary man, his falling by an
ordinary accident would not have cowed
so deep an imprenon ; but being • man whir
had peered the greater part of his life with
a gun in his head, aod familiar with he
use and its dangers, and having 'arrived perils
which not one an ten thoomend would bath pined
through, it seemed • mod cruel free that made Min
the victim of the accidental dieciorge of hi own
gun, at a moment when he was about to give noun
amount of his achievements before an ammoblage
which, of all others, was the best able to appreciate
the immense difficulties he bed to encounter, and
to do him that justice which in Dome quarters had
been tardily given to him, or denied al=
After the coroner's inquest, the body of
Spike was removed from Corshani, where the faith
accident took pioe, to Wake HiU, the maidens of
his brother, the incumbent of Henan Wake. At
this spot Sir Roderick Murchison, Dr. Livingston,
Captain Grant, and oiler members of the
Geographical Society arrived on Friday
for the
volfarying • lad tribute of l=
esteem to air hat co-labourer in the field of
science and el nation. At three o'slock a long
proosmion of the clergy, tenantry, and residents a
the neighbourhood was formed in the vielei
Wake Hill Hoene, for the purpose of
sheer-
Lug their reaped to the deemed, who had
invariably made himself agreeable with
with whoui he oscue in 'contain. The preemies
was headed by the Bev. Prebendary Coley
to whom was entrusted the duty of reading the,
burial service. In advance of the men were,
thirty-two of the clergy of the surrounding parithey
followed by the timothy, after which came the
!Inflater troop of Yeomanry Cavalry, of while
Captain William frti is the commanding officer,
and which was under the command of Limn. G.
Trait" Bullock and Cornet Biennia. Directly
after the corpse come Mr. Spoke, the venerable anal
highly esteemed father of the hero, and on OW* ile•
was the Rev. B. Spoke, and on the other Cape,
Spike. Following after these were Mr. Herrington
and Mr. Murdock, both of whom had married siseern
of the gallant captain. Behind them came the moth
intimate friends of the decemed—nir Roderic&
Murchison, who had acted towards him the pert of
a friend, Dr. Livingstone, his fellow labourer he
Central Africa, and Capt. Great, who was hi oos
panion in his last journey;to like Vyanza, and know,
log these were other members of the Geogisphieth
Society, and the gentry, tradesmen, and farms,
from the surroundin3 district and the neighboorieg
town of tinnier. Copt Grant bore in bis band st
wreath of laurel leaves and white everlasting flowers,
contributed by Mrs. Gould. On arriving at Dow-
lists Wake Church, • pretty little edifice, pleasantly
situated on the hill side, the members of the
Yeomanry Cavalry filed off on either nide of the
pathway to allow the procession to pam into the
church- The Rev. Prebendary Cole., who was
an intimate friend of the deceased, read the fennel
service in a voice choked with emotion, sad many
of the congregation shed tears as it proceeded. The
Spoke vault in situated in the north chapel of the
church, where many members of the tinily
lie. After the service the relatives and im-
mediate friends of the deceased demanded into the
vault in order to take • lug look at the coffin
which was covered with black cloth, on the
bresat•plate of which was written: