Strange how this comes up now. While in a second hand book shop I purchased a book "The White Nile" by Alan Moorehead.
It is about the exploration / discovery of Central Africa and the sources of the Nile.
You read about the treks of Burton, Speke, Livingstone and Stanley and Baker. It is about the building of the Suez Canal, Gordon and Khartoum and the Mahdi.
There were some tough old buzzards in those days. I think it is far more interesting to read about them than to have been on the treks for sure.
In a B.S. session one day everyone present was telling what they would have if they could have anything they wanted. Many were for great toys and some for all the oil in the world...one of my best pals spoke up and said he would take all the fresh water in the world. Now I understand what a treasure he wished for.