358 REMARKS ON TRAVELS 
supreme chief of Timbuctoo was named Osman, we coukl 
not reconcile this report with those which had preceded 
it : but we have now letters from Major Laing himself, 
received since the return of our countryman, one of which 
dated from Timbuctoo, the 21st of September, 1826, re- 
veals the name of the prince then reigning, and this name 
is also Osman^. 
In the same letter. Major Laing states the circumfer- 
ence of the city at four miles ; this account confirms the 
small population assigned to it by M. Cailli^. He adds 
that he has collected documents in abundance relating 
to Timbuctoo. If we may rely on the account of a Moor 
from Saint Louis, the books of the Major are at the dispo- 
sal of a certain Saleh, son of the Iman of Timbuctoo ; and 
according to another they are in the hands of the Toua- 
riks. Time will in all probability produce some of the 
documents, the only consolation for so deplorable a loss. 
The same accuracy appears in M. Caillie's observa- 
tions respecting the journeys, if we admit as a fair spe- 
cimen those which concern countries whose geography is 
known 5 thus the distance from Fez to Arbate by Mequi- 
naz agrees with the itinerary of M. Caillie, at the rate of 
three miles an hour. 
So many motives of confidence and interest sufficient- 
ly recommend the accuracy of the travels, and consequently 
* lUdem, page 25. 
