326 THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION. 
September 1, 1791, and expressed in the follow- 
ing terms ; " Major Houghton's compliments to 
" Dr Laidley, is in good health, on his way to 
" Tombuctoo, robbed of all his goods by Fenda 
" Bucar's son." At Jarra, for a musket and some 
tobacco, he engaged certain Moorish merchants, 
who were going to purchase salt in the desert, to 
convey him to Tisheet, which lies near the salt- 
pits, ten days journey to the north of Jarra. Whe- 
ther he had been deceived concerning his route, 
or insidiously decoyed into the desert, it is impos- 
sible to determine ; but, at the end of two days, 
suspecting the perfidy of his companions, he resolv- 
ed to return to Jarra, and, upon refusing to ad- 
vance, was deserted and plundered by the Moors. 
Major Houghton returned on foot through the de- 
sert, solitary, and perishing with hunger. He had 
wanted food for some days when he reached Jarra, 
a watering-place belonging to the Moors, where 
he was either murdered or suffered to perish, as 
the Moors refused to supply him with meat. His 
body was dragged into the wilderness, and left to 
waste under a tree, in a spot which was pointed 
out to Mr Park at Jarra. The traders on the 
Gambia reported that he had been murdered at 
the instigation of the king of Bambara ; but this 
was afterwards contradicted, and he was asserted 
to have died of a dysentery. Dr Laidley attempt- 
ed to recover his books or papers, by offering re-< 
