The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-08
THE DEATH or CAPTAIN sPEKE.

( The English mails received by the asia bring
= fal particulars of the death OF Captain Spoke,
the African explorer. He was suddenly killed
on the 18th of September, by the accidental dis
charge of his own gun, while shooting in the
neaghbOrhood OF Corshsm, Willis. The charge
passed through his chest close to his heart, and
, he died in ten minutes His age was thirty eight
years. The remains were conveyed TO his fathers
home at minister.
The British Association for the Advancement
of Science, in session at Bath, expected TO hear a
discussion between Captain Burton and Captain
Bpeke ON the day of the catastrophe, but the sud
den death of Spoke cast gloom over the pro-
ceedings. Sir Roderick Murchson moved the
following resolution, which was unanimously
adopted by the Association -
"That the geogrRphers ethno'ogists the British
Association hsvng hesrd with profound regret OF the at
te, have suddenly lost 50 eniaent associate resolve
tiet heartie coincidence be offered his
tives his being cut OF in awfu manner in the full
o. nest Of fts ATength and Vigor."
II is understood that Captain Spoke, at the time
OF his oestb, was preparing for another eXpedi-
aioD in he direction of the Niles source.
The London Morning Star, in the course Of an
apprtciatiVe estimate Of Speke's career has the
following remarks -
q. {" Sebastian Cabot and Hendrix Hudson found
no unworthy successors In Franklin and Ross I;
while the mRntles of MungO Park and Robert
Bruce have OF verify descended upon DIR. Liy-
iDebtOne and the now ute Captain Spoke The
CON psTison between Bruce and Speke is literally
cor rtt. for both engaged in the attempt TO solve
the enigma which lad puzzled the world from the
time of HeTOdOtus. But while the renowned
Ab) ibian traveller doomed 10 failure, IL
wa reserved for the who has been so
BuCOtniy removed from amongst us 70 achieve
the Rrt Al enterprise. There have be n those who
deIItciaie The value OF his discoveries, or wuo,
like the Italian irayeler Mlani, deny that be has
ma, known The real sources OF the Nile; nut az
pre- the fact may fairy be accepted as proved,
and wLIe Others who may iay GA III 10 u share
OF ~. hCnOis may not have I ccIyed the rec1g-
piti u hitch is their due, al who are his cpun-
try eu will now uui'e in giyi1g - the ianen'ed
Speke the eXnlied Fosltcu when it was MS am
HIte lie O.. tain Spcse was 10, o m n OF
genius; he was not even clever book-writer. II
the Ingenious hand which was employed in reyis-
ing M. Du Chaillu's notes had been set TO work
upon his journal, the result would have been a
book more dazzling than any romance. He was
a simple Inoian officer who had a taste-a TOO
fatal taste-for field sports, and whose loftiest
desire in commencing his career of adventure,
was, as he himself has told us, TO add as many
spOis of his own as he could TO his tathers
museum. A laudable object truly, but not
such a one as impelled the redouDtable Bruce
to confront the perils Of the African wilder
ness But little causes sometimes lead 10 great
results, and the love of sport in time gave place
10 a nobler passion; AS the companion OF BUR-
ton, into his quarrel with whom we do not now
care 10 enttr, he earned his first European aures.
As his travels in Somai land and his expora-
tion of the Tanganylka lake have only recently
been given 10 the world, il Is unnecessary 20 eX-
patiate upon those interesting adventures, except
70 remark that as the result Of the inquiries and
observations he then made-now some nine or
ten years ago-he first formed the theory that
the great lake Victoria Nyanza was the true
source of the mysterious river which had 50 long
defied the worlds speculations. When, ali those
years ago, he, solitary European, stood on the
shores OF that VAST inland sea, he felt
sure that he had before him the key 20 the
0reat puzzle and il was with sad heart that he /
loit himself Obliged 20 turn his steps homewards
pitbou at once satisfy ing his curiosity and prov
Ing the ruth of his cOnjectures. But h speaks |
we'll for him that although his private resources
aad been heavily taxed in successive expeditions