80 
MAJOR LAING. 
so weak that they were obliged to tie him on. The robbers 
left him almost destitute, having robbed him of the greater 
part of his merchandise. 
On his arrival at Timbuctoo, Major Laing healed his 
wounds by the aid of an ointment which he brought with 
him from England. His recovery was slow ; but he was 
made very comfortable, owing to the letters of recommenda- 
tion which he had brought from Tripoli, and especially to 
the attention of his landlord, a Tripolitan, to whom he had 
been directed. The house of this Moor was near that in 
which I lodged at Timbuctoo. I had frequent oppor- 
tunities of seeing him. He appeared to me a man full of 
kindly feelings. Many a time he has given me dates, from 
mere charity, and the day before I left he made me a pre- 
sent of a pair of blue cotton trowsers, to wear on my jour- 
ney. 
He told me that the major had been recommended by 
a Tripolitan house to an old Moor, who, not having conve- 
nience to lodge him, transferred him to his hospitality. 
Laing, he added, never laid aside his European dress, and 
used to give out that he had been sent by his master the 
King of England, for the purpose of making himself ac- 
quainted with Timbuctoo and the wonders it contains.* 
It would appear that the traveller had openly taken a plan 
of Timbuctoo, for the same Moor told me in his simple way 
that he had written down every thing in it. 
Other Moors, whom I questioned respecting Laing, 
merely told me that the major ate little, and that he lived 
entirely on bread, eggs, and poultry. I moreover learned that 
he was tormented to say that there is but one God and 
that Mahomet is his prophet ; but he always stopped at the 
words : " There is but one God." They then called him 
* It is doubtful wkether the English traveller would have expressed 
himself in this manner. 
