78 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
Society. Sir Roderick also introduced me to Captain Speke^ who 
had but recently returned to England from his expedition with 
Captain Burton. 
It was far from my thoughts to court notoriety either as a 
traveller or as an author^ and one of the most urgent of my new 
acquaintances to induce me to overcome my prejudices with respect 
to publishing, was Captain Speke. 
Although unable to attend the meeting of the British Association 
about to be held at Aberdeen, I could not resist the pressing request 
of Sir Roderick Murchison, Captain Speke, and^ many others, to 
write a paper for it, which I entrusted to be read by Dr. Norton 
Shaw, the then Assistant -Secretary of the Royal Geographical 
Society. I had also acceeded to Captain Speke’s desire to give a 
rough-hand sketch of my travels, which he thus acknowledges : 
“EDINBURGH, 
Scptemhei' 
“Mt dear Petherick, 
The map, unfortunately, did not reach Mr. Blackwood in 
time for insertion in the magazine. I say unfortunately, because 
I feel that it would have been of material service to the world 
at large had it appeared there ; but, as regards myself, you have 
satisfied me entirely, and I feel very much obliged to you for it. 
“ My paper on the discovery of the Nyanza followed yours, 
stating that there was such a close analogy to the habits of all 
Central Africans, that I was pleased your paper had preceded 
mine, for by it they would understand what the people were like 
who occupied the country of which I was about to give a short, 
dry, geographical description only. 
“It has just struck me that you could not do better than 
