Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Subjects:

Exploration, Discovery, Controversy

    Discusses the controversy between, on the one hand, John H Speke and James A Grant, and on the other, Charles T Beke, over the 'Sources of the Nile'. Surprised by the 'heat of bilious ire' among 'scientific minds'. Notes how Beke did 'peck' at Speke 'with such a dogged will' because Speke called Beke 'Bigg'—possibly a reference to the Irish poet, John S Bigg.