River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

In Chapter 1, Millard introduces the first main character of the book: Richard Francis Burton. She starts by discussing Burton’s successful attempt at disguising himself as a Muslim man named Shaykh Abdullah so that he could be the first European to partake in the Hajj, which is the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims, and Muslims must participate in at least one Hajj in their lifetime. Non-Muslims are forbidden from visiting Mecca and partaking in the pilgrimage.

While Burton enjoyed learning about other languages and cultures, Millard argues that the forbidden aspect of the Hajj drew Burton to attempt to infiltrate the pilgrimage. Millard notes that Burton “studied every religion and respected none” (9). Despite the sacredness of the city and pilgrimage, Burton desired unfettered access to this ancient tradition. This undertaking was incredibly dangerous. If the Muslim worshippers discovered Burton’s deception, they would kill him—a fact Burton understood. The discovery of a European navigation instrument almost uncovered Burton’s ruse.

Burton journeyed to the Kaaba, which is the shrine at the center of the Hajj. Burton recognized that while this feat would bring him recognition in England, it would “not change the fact that he would always be an outsider” (21).

While Burton was born in England, most of his British compatriots held reservations about him for several reasons. The first is that he grew up all over Europe. In fact, Burton and his siblings never really considered themselves British and did not understand British society. In turn, British society did not understand them. The second is that Burton did not look particularly British, a fact noted by famed British author Bram Stoker. Finally, Burton had a lifelong interest in sex and pornography, which Victorian society considered impolite and taboo.

Burton’s education was largely self-taught. While he had tutors in his youth, they treated him and his brother, Edward, poorly. As a result, he rebelled against most of them except his fencing tutor. Burton became one of the most skilled swordsmen of his time. He was also a gifted linguist who could speak over 25 languages as well as at least a dozen dialects. This language ability allowed him to advance in his career with the British East India Company, although it made him numerous enemies, including Christopher Palmer Rigby.

Millard discusses two reasons why Burton became interested in discovering the source of the Nile River. Stories from three German missionaries and explorers named Johann Krapf, Johannes Rebmann, and Jakob Erhardt first piqued Burton’s interest. These three men traveled extensively throughout East Africa to map the region. Similar to Burton, Krapf, Rebmann, and Erhardt heard from slave and ivory traders about large inland lakes within the Mountains of the Moon, an ancient term that refers to a legendary mountain range in east Africa. For millennia, people believed this mountain range was the source of the Nile. The men even drew a map of these lakes. It is important to note that these men never saw the lakes themselves. Burton desired to meet the missionaries, especially Krapf, to learn more.

In addition, Burton was bored in Egypt. Rather than celebrating his success with the Haji, he wallowed in frustration for two years in Egypt while also battling dysentery. Burton was frustrated with himself for not reaching Saudi Arabia by crossing the Arabian Peninsula, which was his original plan. The Royal Geographic Society refused to agree to this plan because it was incredibly dangerous.

Burton was also frustrated because he did not have another adventure lined up. However, this soon changed. Roderick Murchison, then-president of the Royal Geographic Society, declared that whoever could find the source of the White Nile would be considered one of the greatest explorers. Burton immediately decided he was up for the challenge and wanted to lead the expedition. For his expedition to be successful, Burton needed several men with key skills, specifically botany, survey/mapping, and physics.

Burton prepares for the expedition to find the source of the Nile. First, Burton, who was an officer in the East India Company, received permission for another prolonged leave. The East India Company approved Burton’s expedition under two conditions. The first was that Burton needed to begin the expedition in British- controlled Aden, a port in contemporary Yemen, before crossing to Somaliland and moving to the interior of the African continent. Somaliland was also incredibly dangerous, which led to the East India Company’s second condition. The company was not responsible if Burton died on the expedition. Burton agreed to these conditions.

However, James Outram, the newly appointed political resident and commandment in Aden, tried to prevent Burton’s journey. In the end, Burton agreed to delay his journey until after the annual trade bazaar known as Berbera Fair. The fair lasted from October to April and brought thousands of people to the coastal town. Burton could travel with the caravans as they left, which might have offered him some protection as he moved into the hinterland.

Burton selected three fellow officers to join his expedition: G.E. Herne, William Stroyan, and John Ellerton Stocks. Herne was a photographer, astronomer, and mathematician. Stroyan was a geologist and skilled surveyor. Stocks was a surgeon and botanist. Stocks needed to travel from England to Aden. Unfortunately, he died in England. His death shocked Burton; he also needed to replace Stocks’ skills for his expedition.

John Hanning Speke was an experienced traveler, skilled surveyor, and avid big-game hunter. Speke was the opposite of Burton. He was extremely religious, born into the British aristocracy, and was blond and blue-eyed. Speke had just completed his 10th year with the 46th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry, an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army, earning him a three-year leave. He originally planned to travel with Edmund Smyth, a friend and fellow hunter. However, he decided to venture alone to Somaliland.

Speke stopped in Aden. Similar to Burton, Outram tried to prohibit Speke from traveling to Somaliland. Speke was shocked but repeatedly asked Outram to reconsider his stance. Finally, Outram suggested that Speke join Burton’s expedition. Speke approached Burton. Burton was concerned about Speke’s nervous temperament and ignorance about the region and its people. In addition, Burton recognized that Speke did not bring additional skills to his expedition. Despite these misgivings, Burton allowed Speke to join the expedition.