What was the goal of Sir Richard Burton’s 1855 expedition across Somaliland?

Sir Richard Burton’s 1855 expedition across Somaliland was driven by his growing fascination with discovering the source of the White Nile.1

Burton planned this journey alongside three officers of the British East India Company, including John Hanning Speke, with the intention of pushing across the region to further his exploration goals. However, the expedition was cut short when the party was attacked by Africans near Berbera. During the conflict, one member of the party was killed, Speke was seriously wounded, and Burton himself suffered a severe injury when a javelin was hurled through his jaw, forcing him to return to England.1