The Sun.
London, England, 1826-08-25 00:00:00

MA. O LUNG ICA.

We are delighted to annOtince the arrival of our intrepid
countryman Major Laing at the greet centre.of African in-
ternal commerce, the long-sought city of Titrihnetoo: The
date of his arrival is not stated, but from the time lie left
Twat it was probable it took place about the beginning of
February. The next caravan which arrives at Tripoli
from Timbuctoo will bring us further accounts from our
enterprising traveller regarding his future movements.' If
he proceeded down the river Niger as expeditiously as he
could, we may soon expect to hear of his arrival in Eng-
land. The reports of the dispersion of the caravan with
which he was travelling, after it had left Twat, and which
had reached this country through a respectable channel,
are thus, we rejoice to say, falsified. Inured to the Afri-
can climate, and arriving at Timbuctoo early in the dry
season, we consider every danger to 'Major Laing as over.
The navigable current of the Niger will rapidly bear him
we think to the Atlantic, through countries and powers
deeply impressed with the majesty and fame of Great Bri-
tain. vwco'British travellers are at present in the heart
of Northern Africa, to which they have advanced from,op-
posite points. Thus, desirable and important objects are
accomplished,. when these are left to men of judgment and
knowledge ; and much as we. differ from Mr. Harrow
about the course and termination of the Niger, still it is
but justice to state, that it is to him, and the alacrity with
which his views are seconded by the Colonial Office, that
the country is indebted for these expeditions, and what-
weer important geographical discoveries may be "made
in them. Had these matters continued to he left .in
the hands of the African 'lnstitution, they would have
drivelled for a century about Sierre Leone, and never
have ascertained even the source of the Niger, though
thatt settlement, now settled. nearly forty years, ..is 'as
near the source of the river as York is to London I
No later advises have been received from Clapperton than
those which announced his arrival at Sackatoo; but by the
arrival of the Despatch man of war from the coast iof
Africa (the Bight of Benin) some previous despatches
from- that traveller had been- received, which are of con-
siderable importance, as disclosing his route and progress
to Sackatoo. ie 7th of March he was at Katangha,
the capital of Yarba or Yarriba, a country bordering on
Nyffe, front whence he was preparing to set out for Kiatna;
and from thence to Wauwa and Youri (distant four dais'
journey from Virauwa), thus passing the places where our
unfortunate countryman Park was lost. Katangha is
stated to he thirty miles east of the Niger. Important in-
formation he must of course have obtained there; hut still
more important information 'he of course obtained, and hat,
no 'doubt, generally transmitted to this country, in his ad-
vance 'to Katangha and in his further advance north-
wardS, because in that route and in the latter . space he
must have crossed the Niger, and passed the Nyffe, at that
point where some will have it that the Niger turns east to
the Nile of Egypt; and others that it empties itself into
an inland lake. There he must have received positive in-
formation whether the mighty Niger runs eastward, 'or
continues its course, as we believe, it does, southward
through that line of country yet unexplored, through which
twenty mighty rivers, which enter the sea in the Delta of_
Benin, descend to the ocean'. These points, we have no
doubt, are in a great' measure 'determined by the advices
received from Clipperton ;and probably the next Quarterly
Review may favour us with a peep.behind the curtain,
which we wait with undiminished confidence to perceive
drawn up.—Glasgow Courier.