What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile

Name: What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile
Author: Speke, John Hanning

Speke, John Hanning

Horn of Africa -- Description and travel; Nile River; Tanganyika, Lake

Thermometer hung in a passage of our house showed--Morning, Noon,
                  and Afternoon respectively--

  6 A.M.  9 A.M.  Noon.  3 P.M.  6 P.M.
  73°     75°     84°     86°     84°     Mean temperature during
                                          first week or seven days
                                          of September 1858.
  71°     ---     ---     88°     ---     Extreme: difference, 17°
                                          of variation during 12
                                          hours of day.


  Thermometer suspended from ridge-pole of a one-cloth tent pitched
                       in a close yard:--

  6 A.M.  9 A.M.  Noon.  3 P.M.  6 P.M.
  65°     85°     108°   107°    80°      Mean temperature.
  63°     ---     ---    113°    ---      Extreme: difference, 50°
                                           of variation.

                List of Stores along this Line.

Rice is grown at Unyanyembé, or wherever the Arabs settle, but is not
common, as the negroes, considering it poor food, seldom eat it.


Animal.

Cows, sheep, goats, fowls, donkeys, eggs, milk, butter, honey.
P.S.--Donkeys are very scarce; only found in a few places in the
Unyamuézi country.


Vegetable.

Rice, jowari, bagri, maize, manioc, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins,
melons, cucumbers, tobacco, cotton, pulse in great varieties, chilis,
bénghans, plantains, tomatoes, sesamum.


The Quantity of Kit taken for this Journey consisted of--

  9 Gorahs merikani; 1 Gorah or piece of American sheeting, = 15
                cloths of 4 cubits each.
  30  Do. Kiniki; 1 Gorah Kiniki, a common indigo-dyed stuff, = 4
                cloths of 4 cubits each.
  1 Sahari, a coloured cloth.   | These cloths are more expensive being of
  1 Dubuani, a coloured cloth.  | better stuff, and are used chiefly by the
  2 Barsati, a coloured cloth.  | sultans and other black swells.


  20 Maunds white beads = 70 lb.
  3 loads of rice grown at Unyanyembé by the Arabs.


Expenditure for the Journey from 9th July to 25th August 1858.

                                                            Value.
  10 Beluches' wages, 150 shukkas, or 4 cubits apiece
     merikani,                                            100 dols.
  10 Beluches' rations, given in advance, 30 lb. white
     beads,                                                 5
  15 Pagazis' wages, 75 shukkas merikani,                  50
  26 Men, including self, rations, 60 lb. white beads,     10
  2 Pagazis, extra wages, 7 shukkas of merikani and
     kiniki  mixed,                                         5
  6 Sultans' hongos or presents, 22 shukkas of merikani and
                        kiniki, mixed,                     16
  6   Do.    Do.        Do.      2 barsatis,                2

  Total expenditure,                                      188 dols.
                                                  Or £39, 3s. 4d.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile

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