MY RETURN. 



391 



whose roar was chiefly to please the ladies and to 

 push the institution. Despite the palpable in- 

 justice thus done to the organizer and leader of 

 the expedition, Capt. Speke was officially directed 

 — 'much against his own inclination,' he de- 

 clared — to lecture in Burlington House. The 

 President ' seized the enlightened view that such 

 a discovery should not be lost to the glory of 

 England,' and came at once to the conclusion, 

 ' S|)eke, we must send you there again.' Einally, 

 a council assembled to ascertain what were the 

 projects of the volunteer leader, and what assist- 

 ance he would require, in order to ' make good 

 his discovery by connecting the Lake with the 

 Nile.' They ended their labours by recommend- 

 ing the most liberal preparations — a remarkable 

 contrast to those of the first expedition.^ 



I reached London on May 21st, and found that 

 everything had been done for, or rather against, 

 me. My companion now stood forth in his true 

 colours, an angry rival. He had doubtless been 



^ * This fine undertaking was most inadequately subsidized : 

 only £1000 was supplied by the Government, through the So- 

 ciety — £750 at the outset, and £250 on their return. The 

 rest of the total cost, £2500, was defrayed jointly by the tra- 

 vellers themselves ' (3Ir Findlay, loc. cit., speaking of the East 

 African Expedition of 185G to 1859). The Treasury, in 1800, 

 contributed £2500, a sum which, with the experience gained 

 during the first expedition, was amply sufficient. 



