SAD DEATH OF CAPTAIN SPEKE, THE AFRICAN TRAVELLER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 325, 26 November 1864, Page 6

SAD DEATH OF CAPTAIN SPEKE, THE AFRICAN TRAVELLER.

[From the Times, Sept. i 8 ] As slated in our report of t lie proceedings of the British Association at J3uth, yesterday, reported in ano'her part of our paper, Captain iSpeke came to ;i sudden and violent death on Thursday cveniii" last, while shooting in the lieighbourhood'of Hox, Wilt - shire. The lollowing particulars < f this melancholy all'air, have been gleaned on the spot. It appears that Captain iSpekc, who was to have taken part in the proceedings of the liriti-h Association at Jiatl, yesterday, and to have encountered Captain Burton in a public discussion as to the true course of the Nile, was visiting at Mr. Fuller's, of JuVston-park, Wilts, his uncle, and had gone out shooting with Mr. George Fuller, on Thursday. After aljout two hours shooting it would appear, from the statement of Mr. Fuller, that tho unfortunate deceased uagctting over a low stone wall, when by some mischance his gun exploded while the muzzie of it was

pointed al his chest, lacerating the lungs, and jkismip* close to the heart. Mr. Fuller, healing (he gun fired, turned round in time to see his friend and relative fall from the wall into the field, and the keeper, who was niorking birds at a short distance, seeing his master run towards the deceased, also went up and found him mortally wounded, lie was only sensible for a few minutes. On Mr. Fuller comiu'" up lie moved his hand to his che.-t and said feeblyj " JJon't move me." Shortly afterwards lie breathed his last. A surgeon was on the spot very soon alter the accident, but lie was dead before his arrival. The deceased was 38 years of age and unmarried. THE J.S'QUKST. Yesterday afternoon (Friday) tho inquest was held on the body of tho deceased, at the residence oflii* brother, Mr. Speke, J. I'. for Wiltshire, at Monk'spark-, near Corsham, by Mr. Kemin, coroner for the liberty of C'orshani, and a jury composed of respect a- - blc inhabitants of the place. 'Jhe first witness examined was Mr. George Fuller, son of Mr. Fuller, of Newlonpark, who deposed,—About hall'-pusl; 2 o'clock yes- 1 torduy I loft my father's houao lor I he purpotu of '

shooting pjvrtridges. HeccaFcd "had fired off both barrels before the accident.occurred. About,4o'clock I got over alow part of a loose stone wall, at that placo about two feet high, and I was about (50 yard? ! from the place when T heard the report of a gun, and looking round, thinking to bee some birds, 1 saw the : deceased standing on (he panic part of the wall I had just. go< Over, without his gun. and shortly after T Paw him fall into the field I was in. I immediately went to his assistance, and found a wound in his chest, bleeding, which 1 endeavoured to stop. He was then sensible and spoke to me, hut did not long remain so. 1. stayed with him about five minutes, and then lcfi him in charge of my keeper, Haniel Favis, and went for assistance. I observed the gun lying bv the side of the wall in the field that I and the deceased were iiu One barrel, the right, was then at half cock, the left-hand barrel was discharged. 1 heard very Itttie report, and T should suppose thai the muzzle of the of the pun was very near the boiP.y of the deceased when it went ofV.

Paniel Davis deposed,— lam keeper to Mr. Fuller. Yesterday, a little before 4 o'cleck, 1 was marking birds for my master and the deceased, who were shooting. At that rime I saw the deceased go up to a low part of the wall to tret over, lie had then his gun in his hand. Almost immediately afler I heard the report of a gun, and I looked towards my master, and on seeing him running towards the deceased 1 went there also, lie was then lying by the side of the wall. He had just got over. 1 found him will; a wound in his side, ami Mr. Fuller had his hand on the wound trying to stop the blood. I heard the deceased groan once or twice, but cannot say whetlur he wa* actually sensible or not. 1 stayed with him till he died, which was about a quarter of an hour after the gnu was discharged. He was not removed from the spot before he died. 'J lie gun win a 1 ancestor breach-loader, without a safety guard ; bid 1 should tlunk the gun was quite safe, and in the same state us gentleman's guns usually are.

Mr. Snow, »urgeon, of llox. was called in to the deceased. Found him dead on his arrival. There was a wound on the left side, such as would be made bv a cartridge if the muzzle of the gnn was close to the body. There was no other wound. It led in :i direction upwards and towards the spine, passing through the lungs and dividing all ihe large vessels near the heart, but not touching the heart it sell". Such a wound would cause death. The 'Coroner having briefly addressed the jury on their melancholy duty, and pointed out them what he considered was the verdict they .should return. The jury unanimously recorded their venlh! that "The deceased died from the accidental discharge of his gun, after living a quarter of an hour." They also appended an expression of sympathy f<-r the family of the deceased in their bereavement, which w;n ji less both to his family and to the whole country. The following is a report, of ihe proceedings of (he "Hrstish .Associate n yesterday on the assembling of Seel ion V. :— It was understood that in this discussion would take place betwem Captain Turton ami Captain Speke on that inteM sting snl j(<t. the sourer of 1 lie Nile, and there was a great rush, to this sretion at an early hour. The shock ins; (hath of Captain Speke. however, became known to many : and although, prol ably this sad intellii'emv did not diminish the attendance in Section ,K. it m-cd scarcely be added that it cm-I a gloom over the whole assembly. S'c me little delay aro-c i n the assembling of the ofliecrs of the tectum, but soon after! 1 a.n the President' Sir "Kodeiiek Murchinson, and tin Con mittee entered the room. Sir M M urchison. on taking the chair, said he bad to apologue for the short delay that had oeeinred, but when he explained the cause, he had no doubt that the explanation would be aereptcd. r I la v had been in their committee so profoundly eflected bv the dreadful oil: n ity which bad happened to his dear friend Captain Spoke; by which be hud lest bi> life: that they felt that it would be impossible tor them to proceed with the l ns?iii <s of the < av without endeavoui irtr I r > elicit In m that a>si mblv what be w;b sure would be the unaniniMis cxpn ssioi of their deep f'eel : iijt for the dreadful calamity 1 lint had hapj en» d. ard "irerin«; the heartfelt eondoleuees of gcoernphMand travellers to the friends and relations ot the lat»lamenti d deceast d on th.U mest lanientahlo event. "What undend the calamity tie more painful wa? the ( iicumstanee that Captain Spckc had intended to address them that vrrv dav in reference to his recent

very interesting ex])loration in Africa. "Witli tlieii peiinission, he would move the following resolution :■—• " r J*}iat the rr< oirraphws and etlmoleuists of tie Association having lieard with ]irofouisd regret of the fatal aceidcrit which has hefallen f'ajt. Speke, and hy which they have suddenly lost se eminent an associate, re«olvethat their most heartfelt condolence In* nll'i-retl to Ids relat i ves on liisltinu cut o{f in so awful a manner in the fulness of his strength and vigour." ?ir h'oderiek addt d that the ein umstances ui.dn whieh Captain Speko had lost his life were these. He was out shcotirii? with some friends, and on rrettinir over a wall it "was supposed ho was drawing his eun alter him, when it exph (h (1, and the rharire enter« d }iis lic.dy clopr- to his heart. He only livi d a few minutes, ar.d in fact was dead before his friend

could jret n]) to him. I'lh 1 rosnlution having been unanimously passed every person in thero<m holding up his liand, tin business of the section was proerrded with. ! Tin; 77/w.v thuH sjjeaks of tliis illustrious "])isrnverer — The simple whicli tlifMleath of such a man undei such circumstances occasions is s<'uu thinsx on whieli no eon ment is ]>f>ssi)»le. It hrin«/s Jkmik; to ns as no pieael.er evrrdid the une< rtainty r.f all human a Hairs Hut yet its very magnitude is a nuasuie of the ad - miiation ex(-it«d by the illustrious adventurer in tin hn asts of his countrymen ; and if the (leneral who dies in the meaner t of victory is a fair ol jee-t of envv, it is didirult to think otherwise of one "vviio ii;is fallrji iii 11n; vi'i'v l.our wlion liis faco had rrjichcil i!:zenith. r l ho J\/irtr/ and Miltltiry (laztllr fxivr.s (ho fol]o\vi:;Miif't'fiiint of his M-rviro: — Cnjil. SprK'i* "was born in 1-Sl7. J1 ii filtered the nny when seventeen war.--ol'.-iee. In ISSD lu-jumeit the 'J'tu-'xi.-li C< ntiiieein. mid I'roeeeded with ii lo the Crinn a. lie served will; distinction in til" lighting Jlrieade with Sir Colin <_anijiheJJ (he J'unfanli eain]tai^, r n, and was jiresent at the Lattles of Huiniillugor, lIOI'C, ( hiUhnwahah, ar.d (in/erat. 1(e develo]ied at an early the love of travel, mid parlieidai Iv ol explorafion. Vi'itli Captain Unit on he iravellei!" in and JS")S, and was wounded b\ the native savages whom he visited. At'tlie i hi.-e oi the L rinienn war lie projeeled a seient ifie e.\enr.-?ioi!. but abandoned it to aeeonipanv Captain llnrlon again lo Africa, 'i his expedition was for "encr.ii purposes ol' Hast .African exploral ion rather than fur the iliscovcry of the source of the >' i!c, but the discoveries lie then made raised in his mind that .-peculation as to tin; mysterious source of thai jjivai river, which a subsequent, expedition, in conipanv with Captain (irant enabled I u> prove a I rui'h With Captain Jiurlon, in .Inly IS.'iS, lie reached a> far as the .-oulhcrn extremity of I.ake !N van/a, 10 feel above the level of the sea and miles from the mouth of the 2S*i!c and he speculated as to these great waters being the real S'Uirce ol tic 'iver. I!, was not able lo verify it then. The very dav thai ho arrived home, 011 May ii, IS.-)!), ho sol ah-mi arnmna new rxpedil ion lo Ict urn and |u-ovc Ihe t ruT:; which he felt he should he able to 0.-tabli>h. C'ajtlaiu tirant for his only -Kuropran companion, hr landei_l in Kastcrn Africa, opposiit* Zanzibar, on'tlic Jud October, XHilih and at oner pursued his adventurous journey. JI is news reached Kn<rhuid in thr

ei.rlv uroliths of JHtilf, unci lie liinis. li' ljuiekly lollowcil. iJow lie was honoured and ivwarued iresh ill till- memory ol' nil. A pillant soldier wlm has borne himself bravely in sonic of the bloodiest bailies in our liulinu wars, mill a sagacious and cnterpiisinir traveller, who hail by sheer pluck and ciiduiance solved a problem -which has vexed t lie eurinsil v ol' mankind since the dawn of history, ha* in tlie'i'nll vigour of mankind fallen lifeless in a moiiient, the vivtim of a paltry, common-place accident:.