'DISCOVERY OF SOURCE OF THE NILE: 395 



that during the two and a half years, ending with 

 April, 1863, the Xile Basin had been invested 

 with an amount of fable unknoAvn to the days of 

 Ptolemy. 



Presently after Capt. Speke's triumphant re- 

 turn appeared the volumes upon the ' Discovery 

 of the Source of the Nile,' and upon ' What led 

 to the Discovery.' His brilliant march led me to 

 express, despite all the differences which had 

 sprung up between us, the most favourable 

 opinion of his leadership, and indirect messages 

 passed between us suggesting the possibility of a 

 better understanding. Again, however, either 

 old fancied injuries still rankled in his heart or 

 he could not forgive the man he had injured — 

 odisse quem Iseseris — or, which is most pro- 

 bable, the malignant tongues of ' friends ' urged 

 him on to a renewal of hostilities, and the way to 

 reconciliation was for ever barred. This was the 

 more unhappy as he had greatly improved under 

 the influence of a noble ambition justly satisfied, 

 and all his friends were agreed that success had 

 drawn out the best points of his character. 



The volumes did much to injure Capt. 

 Speke's reputation as a traveller. It would be 

 vain to comment upon the extreme looseness of 

 the geography : one instance sufhces, the 



