John Hanning Speke

John Hanning Speke , 1827-64, English explorer in Africa. He joined Sir Richard Burton in his expeditions to Somaliland (1854) and to E central Africa (1857-59). Together they discovered (1858) Lake Tanganyika; then Speke continued alone and discovered Lake Victoria, which he believed to be a source of the Nile. In 1862 he returned to the lake and proved that the Victoria Nile issues from the north end over Ripon Falls. He wrote Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile (1863).

Bibliography: See biography by A. Maitland (1971).

Speke, John Hanning (1827–64). British soldier and explorer. Speke became famous as the result of two exploratory journeys in eastern Africa. In the course of the first, led by another Briton, Richard Burton, which reached Lake Tanganyika in 1858, Speke conceived the idea that Lake Victoria was the source of the White Nile. Speke led another expedition (1860–3) which confirmed his opinion.

Speke, John Hanning (1827–64) English explorer of e Africa. After service in India, Speke joined Richard Burton in an expedition to Somalia (1854) and, on behalf of the Royal Geographical Society, to the e African lakes (1856). In Burton's absence, he reached Lake Victoria, which he identified as the source of the Nile.