Laing and Caillie.

At the same time that Clapperton undertook his second journey, Major Laing, who had on a former excursion penetrated a little way into the interior, attempted to reach Tombuctoo, from Tripoli, across the desert, by Ghadamis. In the midst of the desert, the party with whom he travelled was attacked during the night by a formidable band of Tuaricks; and Laing, having received twenty-four wounds, was left for dead. He afterwards recovered by the care of his companions, though several splinters of bone were extracted from his head. Undismayed by this unpropitious accident, he after a short delay resumed his journey, and reached Tombuctoo on the 18th August, 1826. There he resided for a month, during which several letters from him reached England. He described the city as every way equal, except in size, to his expectation. It was not above four miles in circumference. During his short residence, he had collected much valuable information concerning the geography of Central Africa. He was obliged to depart in consequence of instructions reaching the governor of the city that the Christian must instantly remove. He accordingly engaged a merchant, called Barbooshi, to guide him to the coast. Before he had advanced three days journey from Tombuctoo, the treacherous Moor murdered him at night, and seized his baggage and journal. His papers were reported to have been carried to Tripoli; but they have never since been recovered.

[Illustration: Burial of Clapperian.]

[Illustration: Body Guard, of the Sheik, of Bornoiu.]

The next traveller was a Frenchman, M. Caillie, who, after having previously resided some years at Senegal, returned to Africa in 1824. Disguised as a Mahomedan, he departed for the interior on the 19th of April, 1827, and arrived at Tangier in safety in the following August. His countrymen rewarded him with a pension and the cross of the legion of honour, and claimed for him a high place among distinguished travellers. Doubts have been thrown upon the authenticity of his narrative, some having gone so far as to say that the greater part of it is a fabrication. Many errors have been detected in it, particularly with regard to the observation of the heavenly bodies; but this may have arisen from ignorance. It is now generally agreed that his account is entitled to consideration; especially as in the present state of our knowledge concerning Africa there is not sufficient ground to disprove it. At all events, his want of education and defective observation prevent him from laying any claims to accuracy.

M. Caillie travelled along with a caravan of Mandingoes through a steep and rocky district, diversified however, at intervals, with picturesque views, and in many places in a state of comparative cultivation. At the village of Couroussa he first saw the Niger, which was already about ten feet deep. He remained a month at Kankan, which contains about 6000 inhabitants, and has a well-supplied market. To the north of it lies the district of Boure, which abounds in gold. He then came to Time, the country around which is fertile, producing many different species of fruits and vegetables. M. Caillie was here detained by illness for five months. After which he accompanied a caravan for Jenne; and on the 10th March crossed the Niger, which appeared to be about 500 feet broad at that point. On the 23rd March he embarked on the Joliba, in a slight-built vessel, fastened together by cords, and of about 60 tons burden. On the 2nd April they came to the place where the river widens into the great lake Dibbe. They then passed through a country thinly peopled by Foulah herdsmen, and bands of roving Tuaricks. In a few days he came to Cabra, the port of Tombuctoo, which consists of a long row of clay huts, thatched with straw. It contains about 1200 inhabitants, who are solely employed in conveying merchandize from the vessels to Tombuctoo.

On the 20th April M. Caillie entered Tombuctoo. His feelings at the sight of this celebrated city were those of disappointment. Perhaps in his wanderings he had fed his imagination with dreams of a flourishing and splendid capital reared amid the waste. He thus describes it:—"The spectacle before me did not answer my expectation. At first sight it presents but a heap of houses, neither so large nor so well peopled as I expected. Its commerce is less considerable than is stated by public report, a great concourse of strangers coming from every part of Soudan. I met in the streets only the camels coming from Kabra. The city is inhabited by negroes of the Kissour nation. They form the principal population. The city is without any walls, open on all sides, and may contain 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants, including the Moors." The houses are built of brick; and there are seven mosques, the principal one of great size, having a tower fifty feet high. The city depends exclusively on trade, which is entirely in the hands of the Moors. The chief article of commerce is salt, which is dug out of the mines of Sahara; but other articles, both of European and native manufacture, are likewise sold. The goods are embarked for Jenne, and bartered for gold, slaves, and provisions. The city is surrounded with plains of moving sand. "The horizon is of a pale red. All is gloomy in nature. The deepest silence reigns—not the song of a single bird is heard."

On the 4th May, M. Caillie departed from Tombuctoo, and in a few days arrived at Aroan, a town containing 3000 inhabitants, on the route to which neither herb nor shrub was seen; and their only fuel was the dung of camels. On the 19th May he prepared to cross the desert, along with a large caravan. Scarcely a drop of water could be found, and many of the wells were dried up. "Before us appeared a horizon without bounds, in which our eyes distinguished only an immense plain of burning sand, enveloped by a sky on fire. At this spectacle the camels raised long cries, and the slaves mournfully lifted up their eyes to heaven." They suffered much from thirst during this dreary march, and their strength was almost exhausted before they reached the springs of Telig. After many days harassing toil, they came to the frontiers of Morocco, and M. Caillie, having crossed the Atlas, contrived to make his way to Tangier.