Lake Victoria established as the source of the Nile

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 7.2.3.03: South Africa and other Southern Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Helen Rachel Cousins (Birmingham Newman University), David Firth (University of Manchester)

Domains

Cartography, Maps and Navigation
Exploration

Dates

Date of occurrence 1863

Places

Zimbabwe (Location)

Resources

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Lake Victoria was first sighted in 1858 during the expedition led by Burton and Speke to the African Great Lakes. After having reached Lake Tanganyka, Burton was again taken ill on the return journey and Speke continued exploring without him, making a journey to the north. He eventually located the great Lake Victoria, which he claimed to be the source of the Nile, despite lacking the instruments to undertake a proper survey. Burton challenged his claims and a prolonged public quarrel between the two men followed, which sparked an intense debate within the scientific community of the day. British explorer and missionary David Livingstone failed in his attempt to verify Speke's discovery, and it was ultimately the explorer Henry Morton Stanley who confirmed the truth of Speke's discovery…

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132 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Lake Victoria established as the source of the Nile". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 January 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5060, accessed 06 May 2024.]

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