SPEKE, spek, John Henning, African ex plorer; b. near Ilchester, Somerset, 4 May 1827; d. near Bath, 15 Sept. 1864. In 1844 he en tered the army and took part in the Sikh War. During his leave of absence he made hunting and exploring expeditions over the Himalayas and through parts of Tibet, collecting many specimens of animals, plants and minerals. In 1854 he accompanied Sir R. F. Burton (q.v.) and party in an expedition to Somaliland, He next served in the Crimean War, and at its close was invited by Burton to join him in an African expedition, to be carried out at the ex pense of the home and Indian governments. In June 1858, Speke and Burton proceeded in land from the east coast, their object being to ascertain the position of the great lakes of the interior, confused accounts of which had been from time to time received from the natives. The great lake Tanganyika (q.v.) was dis
covered, and Burton falling sick, Speke pro ceeded north and discovered the south end of the Victoria Nyanza (q.v.), which he correctly judged to give birth to the Nile. In 1860 he led another expedition, organized by the ,Royal Geographical Society, which explored the western and northern margin of the Victoria Lake, and found a river flowing out of the lake, which turned out to be the White Nile. After long delays in Uganda and Unyoro the travelers proceeded northward, and at Gondokoro met Sir Samuel Baker, who was leading an expedi tion southward. Returning home he was killed by the accidental discharge of his gun while out shooting. He published