The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-14 00:00:00

Banquet to Captains Speke and Grant.

Last evening the members of the East India
United Service Club entertained Captains Speke
and Grant, the discoverers of the source of the Nile,
at a sumptuous banquet—the first public dinner
given by the club—at Willis's Rooms. About 160
gentlemen were present, including General Jacob,
C.B. (chairman), Colonels North and French (vice-
chairmen), Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein,
Lord Stanley, Sir J. Lawrence, Sir R. I. Murchi-
son, Sir L. Peel, Sir G. Everest, Sir J. Currie, Sir
G. Back, Sir James Hogg, Sir C. Nicholson, Sir R.
Vivian, &c.

The usual loyal toasts having been given,
The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the even-
ing, " The healths of their fellow
Grant," members and
brother officers, Captains Speke andwhom
he characterised as the two modern heroes
of the
Nile. He adverted to the fact that from the time
of Herodotus the source of that river had been
a
subject of curiosity, and quoted from Luean to show
that the ancients regarded it as the Indians regard
the springs of the Ganges, as a kind of divine mys-
tery. He said that 30 years ago, in reading a work
on Egypt, he had been struck with the wording of
an ancient inscription which it contained—" I am
he that was, that am, and that shall be, and no
mortal can lift the veil that surrounds me."
That was popularly attributed by the Egyp-
tians to the Divine hand, but it might not in-
appropriately be applied to describe their ideas
of the origin of their sacred stream. That origin,
however, had now been discovered by their friends
Captains Speke and Grant, and he heartily congra-
tulated them on their great achievement. (Loud
cheers.) There were some objectors who asked,
" Cui bono ?" in the same spirit as the Scotch ma-
thematician, who, when invited to a perusal of
Milton, quietly inquired what it would prove ?
(Langhter.) To these objectors he could only reply
that anyone who unravelled a leaf of the book of
nature, and who, as "the priest and interpreter of
nature," expounded one passage in her open scroll,
was a benefactor to mankind. (Hear, hear.) If
they exulted in the researches of a Taschandorf,
who succeeded in finding an original manuscript of
the fourth century in a convent upon Sinai, how
much more pride should they feel in the labours of

their friends, the results of which had an import-
ance that non© could estimate ? When Newton
brought a ray of light into a dark chamber, and
separated it into its component elements—when
Galvani experimented upon a poor frog, and made
its limbs quiver by means of an agent to them un-
known, their experiments might have been re-
garded at the time as trivial, but what immeasur-
able power had they not put into the hands of man !
And so with their guests It was impossible now
to foresee what consequences to science might arise
from their discovery. Who knew what new fields

it opened to us, in language, in ethnology, and in
geographical inquiry ? (Hear.) It might be the
means of introducing us to a new country of
gorillas, and possibly might even supply P►ofessor
Huxley with his " missing link." (Laughter.)
They did not even fully understand the dis-
covery, much less were they able to estimate its value,
and they must wait for the book Captain Speke had
promised them to gain further information upon the
subject. (Hear.)
Captain SPEKE, in acknowledging the compli-
ment, paid a graceful tribute to the hospitality of
his entertainers, and dwelt upon his attachment to
the service of which both he and they were mem-
bers. He then stated that after being ten years in
India, he took furlough, and instead of coming direct
home, spent some time in Africa, which had since
become the land of his adoption. They were all
aware of what he had done there. (Hear, hear.)
It was not every expedition of the kind that was
successful, and on his first journey he was speared
and kicked out of the country. (Laughter.) That
was at the time of the war in the Crimea, and as
that was too great an inducement for him to with-
stand, he proceeded thither. On returning to Eng-
land, the Geographical Society, then in full force,
wished a large tract in Africa to be explored, a
piece of land which was described by certain church
missionaries to be as large as the Caspia❑ Sea. At
the suggestion of Sir George Back, an expedition
was accordingly organised, in which he (Captain
Speke) took part, and laid down what they saw in
the map before them—the southern end of the Vic-
toria Nyanza lake, He believed from the first that
the Nyanza was the sourceof the Nile, as he had sur-
veyed in Thibet, audsaw such a strikingresemblance
between some of the lakes there and that to which
he referred as led him at once to the conclusion. When
he returned he had no sooner shown his maps to Sir
Roderick Murchison than be said to him, " Speke,
we must send you there again." (Cheers.) Captain
Grant, an old fellow-sportsman in India, volunteered
to take a part in the expedition, and a more honour-
able, upright, and honest wan he never met with,
(Hear, hear.) He had told them all the tale, and
now returned his most sincere thanks for the
honour they had done him in making him one of
their guests on that occasion.
Captain GRANT also briefly returned thanks.
The " Home Government of India," proposed by
Colonel North, and acknowledged by Mr. Mills,
vice-president of the council, and " The Visitors,"
concluded the list of toasts.

THE LABEDoYERE COLLECTION has been bough
for the Imperial Library for 80,000 f., containing al

the newspapers, pamphlets, caricatures, and bills that were
pasted on the walls during the whole of the Revolution;
altogether tha most extraordinary collestion of the kind
ever gathered together.
BRITISH FISHERIES.—The annual report of the
Fishery Commissioners show that the herring fish-
ing off the coasts of Scotland and the Isle of Man was very
productive in 1862-830,934 barrels were cured, an in-
crease of above 162,000 barrels over the previous year—
and 494,910 barrels were exported, an increase of 101,996
barrels. The quantity branded increased by 81,365 bar-
rels, showing the increased reliance of the Continent upon
the brand. The Continent is the only important foreign
market; the large trade to the West Indies before eman-
cipation has shrunk into nothing. Last year for
the first time several boats fished off Wick for her-
rings in the winter. They were found with milt
and roe, with the appearance of becoming full fish in
three or four weeks. The experiment will probably
re-
peated and extended. The opinion is now very
The
entertained that the herring spans twice in the yea
_s. ,_......
cod and ling fishery of 1862 was about an aversgr:dhoesmul°
not
generally
entertained
Several vessels went to Rockall, but the adveetuweather
was
appear to have been very successful ;
experienced there, and it was though
this caused several
Bret too many at.
tempted the enterprise at once, and that 4 oats,
manned by
to come away disappointed; 13,14 h
hayed in tkLherring
43,508 fishermen and boys were
;italainuPoincrease ofi3P3 boats
and cod and ling fisheries in 186d2
of the boats, nets,
and 757 men; and the estimateestira
ated that these fisheries
and lines was L 811,355. It is 0
000 other persons.
also gave emploympt to abovb3,
the following :_« A
A Turin letter containsimportance has not been
tthh.eeust
solemnity of which
taken place at Turin, under
sufficiently remarked is
of the
shooting fete which h
of PrincaesHjumbert. This
The nation
the patronage
to attract awakeningattention,
military spirit is
calculatedthat it will begreat
Powerful only as
feels instinctively
and
far as it shall be armed,
.. able to defend itself. Na-
tional rifle-shooting societies exist more or less in all free
countriesinßurope, but scarcely anywhere is it essentill a
monarchical and conservative institution. In Switzerland it
bears a very marked political colour, and only a certain l
part of the population take part in it. n Italy, on the con-
trary, it is governmental and conservative ; and everywhere
the upper classes apply themselves to the exercise. Prince
Humbert was invited, by a deputation of the Swiss marks-
men, to be present at the Federal rifle festival at Chaux-
de-Fonds, As the acceptation involved an official
journey abroad, the question had to be submitted
to the Ministers, who
The Ministry o decided in the negative
that to allow the hereditary
P abroad
rince to travel or on the eve of his majority, and
on the occasion of a fete possessing so marked a character
as the Swiss national rifle meeting, would be inopportune.
Had Princo Amadeus been the person invited, the Go-
vernment would have made no objection; but much
greater reserve is necessary with respect to the pre-
sumptive heir to the throne. Besides, Prince
Ilurnbert is to go to Naples during the month,
which is the principal reason alleged for declin-
ing the invitation to the federal fete. The camps for mili-
tary instruction have commenced in Italy. They have been
formed in Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia, and Tuscany.
This is the first time, since the war of 1859 and 1860, that
Itiaian troops have been assembled in. training camps
That fact is the best proof of the re-establishment
of tranquillity, and of the complete absence of disquietude
in the interior. Although the provinces are deprived of
troops, order and calm prsvail dverywhere."
CRYSTAL PALACE, ONE SHILLING DAY, MON-
DAY, July 13.—Admissions on payment, 7,731; ditto by
season tickets, 1,099; total visitors, 8,830.