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

Banquet to

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 Roome. 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 members and
brother officers, Captains Speke and Grant," whom
he characterisei 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 Lucan 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 bsen 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 ?
(Laughter.) 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 nono 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 Professor
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.)
CtTtain SPERE, 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, be 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 Caspian 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 source of the Nile, as he had sur-
veyed in Thibet, and saw 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 he 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 man 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.

- V
THE LABEDOYERE COLLECTION has been bought
for the Imperial Library for 80,000 f., containing all

the newspapers, pamphlets, caricatures, and bills that were
pasted on the walls during the whole of the Revolution;
altogether tha most extraordinary colleetion 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 roll±
and roe, with the appearance of becoming full flaberm-
three or four weeks. The experiment will probablyale)raiT..
peated and extended. The opinion is now very ger.
The
entertained that the herring spans twice in theyea
fishing.
cod and ling fishery of 1862 was about anwas
Several vessels went to Rockall, but the
appear to have been very successtul ; severet adventure erageweather does
experienced there, and it was thought that that too many at•
this caused several
tempted the enterprise at once, and3l4th4
boats, manned by
to come away disappointed;
43,50 S fishermen and boys
an increase of 183 boats
werel s dl2,;nployed in the herring
and cod and ling fisheries in
and 757 men; and the estimated value
of the boats, nets,
It is estimated that these fisheries
and lines was L 811,355. b 3,000 other person
also gave employment to Lao.
8.
A Turin letter contains thefollowing :--'44 A.
the importance has
solemnity of which
es just taken place at Turin, under
not been
sufficiently remarked is the institution of the national rile-
shootingfete which.
—is
the patronage of Prince Humbert. TV,' •
awakening of the
military spirit is calculated to attract attention, The nation
feels instinctively that it will be great and powerful only as
far as it shall be armed, and able to defend •
itself. Na-
tional rifle-shooting societies exist more or less in all free
countriesinEurope, but scarcely anywhere
0 .
In Switzerland
is it esse n t ial t
i y i a
monarchical and conservative institution.
bears a very marked political e
part of the population take part ino iotu. r , I ann
Idtaol
yn l, ye
nathceercteanin-
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
de-Fonds, As
the the Federal rifle festival at Chaux-
acceptation involved an official
journey abroad, the question had to be submitted
to the Ministers, e,
who decided in the negative
The Ministry
considered
on
tto allow the hereditary
Prince to travel abroad or the of his majority,
on the occasion of a fete possessing so marked a character
as the Swiss national rifle raeeting, would be inopportune.
Had
Prince 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
Humbert 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
Italian 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 prevail everywhere,"
CRYSTAL PALACE, ONE SHILLING DAY, MON-
DAY, July 13.—Admissions on payment, 7,731 ; ditto by
season tickets, 1,099; total visitors, 8,830.