John Hanning Speke (May 4, 1827 – September 15, 1864) was an officer in the British Indian army, who made three voyages of exploration to Africa. He also created the Hamitic hypothesis, a suspected major cause of the Rwandan genocide. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... // Etymology World map showing Africa (geographically) The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — land of the Afri (plural, or Afer singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day... The Hamitic hypothesis is a racialist hypothesis created by John Hanning Speke that taught that the Tutsi people (Hamites) were superior to the Hutus (Bantus). ... The skulls of victims show gashes and signs of violence The Rwandan Genocide was the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus by a group of Hutu extremists known as Interahamwe during a period of 100 days in 1994. ...

In 1854 he made his first voyage, joining the already famous Richard Francis Burton on an expedition to Somalia. After Burton managed to reach the 'forbidden city' Harar the party was attacked. 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Richard Burton, portrait by Frederic Leighton, National Portrait Gallery, London Sir Richard Francis Burton (March 19, 1821 – October 19, 1890), British consul, explorer, translator, writer and Orientalist known for his often-unprecedented exploits of travel and exploration as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. ... Harar, sometimes spelled Harrar or Harer, is a city in Ethiopia situated in the eastern extension of the Ethiopian highlands, about five hundred kilometers from Addis Ababa. ...

Lieut. Speke's captor went to seek his own portion of the spoil, when a Somal came up and asked in Hindostani, what business the Frank had in their country, and added that he would kill him if a Christian, but spare the life of a brother Moslem. The wounded man replied that he was going to Zanzibar, that he was still a Nazarene, and therefore that the work had better be done at once:--the savage laughed and passed on. He was succeeded by a second, who, equally compassionate, whirled a sword round his head, twice pretended to strike, but returned to the plunder without doing damage. Presently came another manner of assailant. Lieut. Speke, who had extricated his hands, caught the spear levelled at his breast, but received at the same moment a blow from a club which, paralyzing his arm, caused him to lose his hold. In defending his heart from a succession of thrusts, he received severe wounds on the back of his hand, his right shoulder, and his left thigh. Pausing a little, the wretch crossed to the other side, and suddenly passed his spear clean through the right leg of the wounded man: the latter "smelling death," then leapt up, and taking advantage of his assailant's terror, rushed headlong towards the sea. Looking behind, he avoided the javelin hurled at his back, and had the good fortune to run, without further accident, the gauntlet of a score of missiles. When pursuit was discontinued, he sat down faint from loss of blood upon a sandhill. Recovering strength by a few minutes' rest, he staggered on to the town, where some old women directed him to us. Then, pursuing his way, he fell in with the party sent to seek him, and by their aid reached the craft, having walked and run at least three miles, after receiving eleven wounds, two of which had pierced his thighs. A touching lesson how difficult it is to kill a man in sound health! (From First Footsteps in East Africa by RF Burton)

In 1856, Burton was asked to make a voyage to East Africa, to find the sources of the Nile. He again chose Speke as his companion. The two travelled inland from Zanzibar and discovered Lake Tanganyika. They heard of a second lake in the area, but Burton was too sick to make the voyage. Speke thus went alone, and found the lake, which he christened Lake Victoria. 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Nile (Arabic: النيل an-nīl), in Africa, is one of the two longest rivers on Earth. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar (Unguja) (1994 est. ... Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3° 20 to 8° 48 South and from 29° 5 to 31° 15 East). ... Lake Victoria, as seen from space Lake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza (also known as Ukerewe) is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ...

Speke returned to England before Burton, and made their voyage famous. Burton was embittered, because Speke declared Lake Victoria to be the Nile's source, whereas Burton believed Lake Tanganyika to be so, and because Speke had by then already been chosen to lead an expedition to further clarify the issue.

Together with James Augustus Grant, Speke left from Zanzibar in October 1860. They travelled on the west side around Lake Victoria without actually seeing much of it, but on the north side of the lake, Speke found the Nile flowing out of it and discovered the Rippon Falls. Next he travelled to Gondokoro in southern Sudan, where he met Samuel Baker, then back to England. James Augustus Grant (April 11, 1827 — February 11, 1892) was a Scottish explorer of eastern equatorial Africa. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Rippon Falls at the northern end of Lake Victoria in Uganda is often considered the source of the river Nile. ... Gondokoro was a trading-station on the east bank of the White Nile in southern Sudan, 750 miles south of Khartoum. ... Sir Samuel White Baker (8 June 1821-30 December 1893) was an English explorer. ...

Speke's voyage did not resolve the issue, Burton claimed that because Speke had not followed the Nile from the place it flowed out of Lake Victoria to Gondokoro, he could not be sure they were the same river. A debate was planned between the two on September 16, 1864, but Speke died just one day before, of a hunting accident - although Burton and some others believed it might actually have been suicide. September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The film Mountains of the Moon (1990) (starring Scottish actor Iain Glen as Speke) related the story of the Burton-Speke controversy. The film hints at a sexual intimacy between Burton and Speke. It also vaguely portrays Speke as a closeted homosexual. The Mountains of the Moon or Montes Lunae was a mountain range in central Africa that was long believed to be the source of the White Nile. ... Iain Glen (born on 24 June 1961 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish film and stage actor. ...

External links

• The complete text of The Discovery Of The Source Of The Nile by John Hanning Speke (from Project Gutenberg).
• The complete text of First Footsteps in East Africa by Richard Francis Burton (from Project Gutenberg).