River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

Speke returned to Zanzibar with Grant, where both Bombay and Rigby greeted him. Speke decided to rename Nyanza to “Victoria” in honor of the British queen. Rigby helped Speke prepare for the expedition.

Speke left Zanzibar soon after arriving. His expedition faced a number of challenges, including desertions, illnesses, and low provisions. These issues slowed the pace of Speke’s travels. Grant especially suffered due to an infection in his right thigh. The infection did not respond to treatment for months. During the travels, Speke pretended to be a prince in hopes of receiving more respect from the locals. A rift also developed between Speke and Bombay, culminating in Speke lashing out at Bombay physically and verbally. Bombay left after this argument, vowing to never work for Speke again. However, Bombay forgave Speke and continued to travel to Nyanza with him.

Grant’s leg continued to worsen. As a result, Speke decided to leave Grant behind with some supplies. While Grant defended Speke’s decision, others would later question its fairness, since this decision deprived Grant of seeing the White Nile’s source.

Speke finally arrived at Nyanza. He reaffirmed his belief that it represented the source. Millard underscores that “Speke did not have the scientific measurements or completed navigation that he would need to definitively prove that the Nyanza was the source of the White Nile” (224).