Burton and Speke's Rivalry

The central theme of River of the Gods is the perennial animosity between Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke. The author uses their rivalry to illustrate the petulant and self-aggrandizing qualities of the explorers who led the West’s initiatives to map the world outside of Europe. Like many other explorers of their day, Burton and Speke are not motivated by any altruistic aim. Instead, it is the promise of glory and riches that drove their exploits. This fact was determinative in defining the outcome of their explorations, which has been mostly defined as a legacy of extraction and violence. While the two men shared similar goals and worked together in their lives’ greatest adventure, they were never able to transcend their small differences. “He was habitually discontented with what was done left me the whole work of management, and then he complained of not...