1827-1864. British explorer. He joined
British traveller Richard Burton on an
African expedition in which they reached Lake
Tanganyika 1858; Speke became the first
European to see Lake Victoria. His claim that
it was the source of the Nile was disputed by
Burton, even after Speke and James Grant made
a second confirming expedition 1860-63. Speke
accidentally shot himself, in England, the
day before he was due to debate the matter
publicly with Burton.