Chap. LXVII. 
MAJOR LAING. 
455 
We thus came to speak of Major Laing, here known 
under the name of E' R&is (the Major), the only- 
Christian that my host, and most of the people 
hereabouts, had ever seen ; the French traveller, Rene 
Caillie, who traversed this tract in 1828, having, in 
his poor disguise, entirely escaped their observation, 
not to speak of the sailors Adams and Scott, who are 
said to have visited this place, although their nar- 
rative does not reveal a single trait which can be 
identified with its features. 
Major Laing, during the whole time of our inter- 
course, formed one of the chief topics of conversation, 
and my noble friend never failed to express his ad- 
miration, not only of the Major's bodily strength, but 
of his noble and chivalrous character.* I made 
immediate inquiries with regard to Major Laing's 
papers, but unfortunately, not being provided with a 
copy of the blue book containing all the papers re- 
lating to that case, I had not the means of establishing 
all the points disputed. I only learnt that at the time 
none of those papers were in existence, although 
the Sheikh himself told me that the Major, while 
ing along a valley enclosed between the sandhills, "E'gif," to- 
wards the TV., and the black mountains of A'derar towards 
the E. 
1 day, Hillet e' Sheikh. 
* It is highly interesting and satisfactory to observe how Major 
Laing himself, in the letters published in the Edinburgh Review, 
speaks of the kind reception given to him, when severely wounded, 
by the Sheikh and maraboot (Merabet) Mooktar,or rather Sidi Mo- 
hammed. See, especially, p. 105. 
q g 4 
