25^2 REMARKS ON TRAVELS 
Major Laing made on this route ; we only know that 
he passed Ghadames and Ain-Salah^ and we possess 
his observation made in the latter place. This obser- 
vation carries much farther west the position admitted 
on the maps ; but for several reasons I have felt necessary 
to make use of it : 1st, Major Laing proved himself a 
correct observer, in his travels in the Timannie ; 2ndly, 
the situation of Timbuctoo, being more westerly than it 
has hitherto been considered, should carry with it that 
of the oasis of Touat, which is in the direct line ; 3rdly, 
there is nothing in the itinerary of the sheik Hagg- 
Cassem, in opposition to the more westerly tendency 
of this line of route 3 4thly and lastly, the computation 
of the day's journey appears to me too low, when reduced 
to fifteen geographical miles. The reasons, which induce 
me to estimate it at eighteen miles and four tenths, will 
be found elsewhere : it follows from this calculation, that 
the oasis of Touat should be brought nearer to the ocean. 
This result agrees with the more westerly position of the 
route from Timbuctoo to Tafilet, as shewn by the journey 
of M. Gailhe. Till some of the papers of Major Laing 
are discovered, (and this hope is not altogether lost, 
since M. Caillie himself, in traversing the great desert 
saw a compass, and heard mention of a sextant which 
had belonged to him), it is impossible to make further 
comparisons between the travels of the French discoverer 
and the second expedition of the Major, although both 
resided in the city of Timbuctoo, almost in the same 
house, and though the latter nearly reached el-i\rawan. 
