Explorer. Born Devon. The first European, while on an expedition with Richard Burton to East Africa in 1858, to discover Lake Victoria. On a subsequent journey with James Grant in 1862, he confirmed its northern outlet as the source of the Nile. Burton queried whether Speke really had found the source of the Nile and the two fell out. Murchison arranged a debate between them. Two days before this debate Speke left a lunch where Burton was present, to go on a partridge shoot. Climbing over a wall he shot himself. Suicide was suspected but never proved. Since his death there have been suggestions that he was a repressed homosexual, although he is known to have fathered a child in Buganda, and even that he and Burton had had an intimate relationship.
Other Subjects
Joseph René Bellot
Explorer.  Born Paris.   For his participation in the 1845 Anglo-French expedition to Madagascar Bellot received the Legion of Honour. 1851 he joined Captain Kennedy's expedition to find the Frank...
Charles H. Osmer
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
John Weekes
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
Admiral Arthur Phillip
Founder and first governor of Australia. Born in the ward of Bread Street. Entered the Royal Navy 1753. In 1787 he led a fleet of 11 ships, with a complement of four companies of marines as well a...
Drake Navigators Guild
The Drake Navigators Guild is the historical research group which has used multi-disciplinary methods to research Francis Drake’s visit to the west coast of North America in 1579 and related mariti...
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