Sir Samuel White Baker, an English explorer, born June 8, 1821. In 1848, in conjunction with his brother, he established a model farm and coffee estate in the island of Ceylon. He gave some account of his life there in "The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon" (1853) and "Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon" (1855). In 1861 he organized a large expedition for the purpose of discovering the head waters of the Nile, with the especial design of meeting and succoring Speke and Grant, who had set out from Zanzibar for the same purpose. Baker, accompanied by his wife, a Hungarian by birth, set out from Cairo, April 15, 1801, and on the 13th of June reached the junction of the At-bara with the Nile. For nearly a year he explored the regions of Abyssinia whence comes the Blue Nile, and in June, 1862, returned to Khartoom, at the junction of the Blue and the White Nile. Here he organized a party of 96 persons to explore the course of the White Nile. They set out Dec. 18, 1862, sailing southward up the river. They reached Gondo-koro, lat. 4° 55' N., lon. 31° 46' E., on Feb. 2, 1863. Here on the 15th Baker was met by Grant and Speke, who coming from the south had discovered the Victoria N'yanza, which they believed to be the ultimate source of the Nile. They had left the river for some distance, but thought it probable that there was still another great lake connected with the Victoria N'yanza. Baker, resolved to supplement the explorations of Grant and Speke, started from Gondokoro by land, March 26, 1863, the route being first eastward, then nearly south, then trending toward the west.

The journey was adventurous and toilsome, and Mrs. Baker suffered a sunstroke which nearly cost her life. On March 14, 1864, Baker came in sight of a great fresh-water lake, heretofore unknown, to which he gave the name of Albert N'yanza. (See N'yanza.) After navigating a small portion of the lake, he set out on his homeward journey early in April, 1864; but owing to illness and the disturbed condition of the country, he did not reach Gondokoro until March 23, 1865. He then returned to England, where he received the honor of knighthood, and published an account of his explorations, "The Albert N'yanza" (London, 1866). In 1869 he returned to Africa, was created a pasha by the khedive of Egypt, and placed at the head of an expedition to put down the slave trade carried on by the natives and Arabs in the basin of the Nile.