* BURTON, Richard Francis, Sir (1821-1890) and James MacQUEEN (1778-1870). The Nile Basin. Part I. Showing Tanganyika to be Ptolemy's Western Lake Reservoir. A memoir read before the Royal Geographical Society, November 14, 1864. With prefatory...

8vo (205 x 130 mm). Three engraved maps. Publisher's purple/brown cloth decorated in gilt and blind (slightly stained at edges, spine sunned and leaned).

FIRST EDITION of Burton's last published book about the Speke controversy regarding the discovery of the source of the Nile. Speke accompanied Burton on an expedition to search for the source of the Nile in 1856. During their travels, Burton discovered Lake Tanganyika, which he considered might be the source. After Burton became ill, Speke found and named Lake Victoria, which he proclaimed was the source. Speke returned to London ahead of Burton, and took full credit for the discovery in his Journal of the Discovery… (see lot 188). Burton and Speke were invited to debate their theories about the true source of the Nile before the British Association for the Advancement of Science, but Speke died on that day. Penzer 74-75. Casada 49. Spink 34.