The Washington herald., 1909-10-17
RIVAL THE NILE EXPLORERS
COOkPeay Controversy Recalls Famous Dispute Between
Burton and Speke

malaria and complications; in fact, part
Of the time the former was nearly para
lyzed. the latter almost blind
When they reached Kazeh Spoke an
nounced to his chief that he desired TO
look for another lake. which he under
| stood from the natives was somewhere
! in the neighbOrhoOd. Whether owing 10
| illness or other reasons. Burton refused
| TO accompany Spoke on this side trim
/ Moreover. he seems to have made HIM
self disagreeable regarding guides and
supplies But eventually Spoke set out.
He made Burton promise that he
would return to Kazeh within certain
| time and resume the march to the coast.
Describes Lake Nyanza.
After a difficult advance Spoke. ike
stout Cortez" of Keats sonnet ascend
ed hill. and beheld before him a great
sheet OF water. He described his FIRST
impressions in these words:
The vast expanse Of the nale-h1ua
waters Of the Nyanza burst suddenly on
my gaze II was early morning The
distant sea line OF the north boriTor 49,.
defined in the calm atmospbere betv,ser,
the north and west points OF the com
pass out even this did not afford me anv
luea or the breadth Of the lake. as an
"rchlpelago of islands. each consisting
Oh a single hill, rising 10 a height of POO
VI "W ieet above water. intersected the
inc or vision 10 the left while on the
Tlsht the west horn Of the Ukerewe ISL
and cut of any further view OF the dis
tant water 20 the eastward Of north"
Speke' In fact, seems never to have had
an accurate idea of the vastness OF the
axe that he discovered. However as
on LOT . -
sured that, after centuries Of conjecture
the source of the Nile was al last no
secret
He stayed about the lake. which he called
victoria Nyanza, In honor Of the Queen
OF England, for some time, gathering
great deal OF lore about the natives
as was his wont, and much other valu-
able data Then remembering his prom
Use 10 Burton. he retraced his steps. ar
irving at Kazeh about six weeks after
ne had left IT,
He told Burton that he felt convinced
that Lake Victoria Nyanza was the
source OF the Nile. Burton promptly
rldlculed this idea. To Lake Tauganyika
ne insisted. belonged the honor. The two
explorers got into bitter dispute. All the
way TO the coast they were distant and
unfriendly 70 each other: the affection
ate Dick and Jack" Of their previous
Intercourse were now replaced by the icy
Sir"
When they reached the coast Burton
fingered 10 wind up the expeditions ar
tairs. but Speke-unfairly. as Burton and
MS friends Observation-Disclosures 20 Eng
land with the news OF his discovery OF
Victoria Nyanza and his belief that IL
was the lOng-sought Nile source. He ar
rived in England May 9, 1853. Immediate
~ his statements aroused immense en-
thusasm- Sir Roderick Murchfson pres
ident Of the Royal Geographical Society
accepted them without question. as did
many other well-known men Burton's
discovery Of Lake Tanganyika was en-
tirely overshadowed. On all sides Speke
was urged % return TO Africa and make
certain MS theories about Victoria Ny
ANA.
Arrives Two Weeks Later.
Burton came back to England on Nav
p two weeks later than Spoke. He
found the ground cut from under his
feet" says his biographer. Already
Spoke was lecturing "vaingloriously" at
Burlington House and writing articles
for Blackwood's Magazine Burton lost
no time in getting into the fight He
vigorously championed his view that
Tanganyika was the true Nile source
The controversy was fairly under way.
In 1860 Spoke set forth anew from Eng
land to prove the worth Of his conten-
tons With him this time went Capt.
James Augustus Grant, "a man after