Star.
London, England, 1829-01-28 00:00:00

MAJOR- LAING.

HIS ARRIVAL AT TINIBUCTIL &c
" Tnesuerv, Sara. 21. 1226.
" My MBAR Coast:l,A very short epistle mutt serve
to.apprise you,'ll well as my dearest Emma, 01 my ar-
rival at, and departure from, the great capital of Central
Africa, the former of which events took place on the
18th ult. the latter will take place, please Gon, at an
early hour to morrow morning. 1 have abandoned all
thoughts of retracing my steps to Tripoli, and came
here with an intention of proceeding toJenne by eater;
but this intention has been entirely upset, and my situa-
tion in Timbuctu tendered exceedingly unsafe, by the
unfriendly disposition of the Foolahs of Massina, who
have this year upset the dominion of the Tuaric, and
made themselves patrons of Timbuctu, and whose Sul-
tan (Bello) has expressed his hostility towards me in no
unequivocal terms, in a letter which Al Saidi Boubokar,
the sheik of this town, received from me a few days
after my arrival. He has now got intell.gence of my
being in Timbuctu; and as a party of Foulshs are
hourly expected, Al Saidi Boubokar, who is an excel.
lent good man, and who trembles for my safety, has
strongly urged my immediate departure; and I am
sorry to say that the notice has been so short, and 1
have. so much to do previous to goiog away, that this
is the only communication 1 shall, for the resent, be
able to make. My destination is Sego, whither I hope
to arrive in fifteen days; but I regret Cs say the road
is a vile one, and my perils are not yet at an end; but
my trust is GOD, who has hitherto borne me up amidst
the severest trials, and protected me amidst the nume-
rous dangers to which I have been exposed.
.4,1 have no time to give you any account of Tim-
buctu, but shall briefly state that, in every respect. ex.
cept in size (which does not exceed four miles in cir-
cumftrence), it has completely met my expectations.
Kabra is only five miles distant, and is a neat town,
situated on the very margin of the river. I have been
busily employed, during my stay, searching diet...conk
in the town, 'which are abundant, and in acquaing in.
formation of every kind ; nor is it with any common
degree of satisfaction that I say my perseverance has
been amply rewarded. 1 am now convinced that my
hyp'rthesis, concerning the teimination if the Niger, is
collect.

" May Goo bless you all! I ►hall woke you fully from
Sego, as also my Lord Bathurst; and I rather appre
bend that both letters ssill 'etch you at one time, as
none of the Gliadamis merchants leave Timbuctu for
two months to come. Again, may Goo bless you all!
My dear Emma must excuse my writing. I have begun
a hundred letters to her, bet have been unable to get
through one. S'ie is ever uppermost in my thoughts;
and I look forward with delight, to the hour of oui meet-
ing. which, please Goo, is now at no great di .tatire."
This letter was left behind at Timbuctu, and appears
to have been brought by the nephew 01 Babaiii, tope, tier
with an important document in Arabic, of which the
following is the substance:
" About a month after their safe arrival at Timbuctu
(Laing and !Hung Moktah), the Prince of the Faith-
ful, Sultan Ahmed, B-n Mohammed Labo, tt a Lou!
and Sovereign of all those countries, wrote a 'titer to
his Lieut.-Governor Oman, containing as follows—

" I have heard that a Christian intends coniii g
you; but whether he hi. already arrived or not. I do
not know. You must prevent him from artiving, if he
has not reached )i•ti ; and it he has, you MUit ezj•el hint
the country in such a manner as to leave him no hope
of returning to our countries, because I have received
a letter Imam the tribe of Foodah, containing a'caution
against allowing Christians to come into the Mussul•
man countries in Sou lan; which lever was written in
the East, and coutained an account of the 'nisch'. fs aid
ipspieties by which they have corrupted Scant and oilier
countries:

46 When Governor Osman received this letter he could
not but obey it. lie therefore engaged a sheik of the
Arabs of the a•sert, named Ahmed, son of Obeid-
Allah, son ol ltehal,of &Liman Barbooshi, to go out
with the Christian, and protect him as tar as vie town
ct Arwan. Barbooshi accordingly went with him as
far as Timbuctu; but, on arriving at his own residence
he treacherously murdered him, and took possession act
all his poverty. This is within our knowledge—we
who know the affair, and have seen the letter of the
Prince or the Faithful, Sultan Ahmad Labo."
The document is attested in Timbuctu by 15 signa-
tures. The following examination, by the !knish
Consul, of Bungola, who represented himself as the
servant of the late Major Laing, gives the catastrophe
of this melancholy stmy
" What is your name ? Bunigola.
" Were you Major Laing 's servant?—Yes (and be produced the
following paper)—
" Azoad, Sd July, 1526.
"' I promise to pay the hearer, Bungula, the sum of sit dollars
per month, from the 15th Dec. 1825. till my return to Ghadamis ;
or, on the failure of that event, till the 15th Dec. ; previously
deducting fifty dollars, which I paid for hi. freedom.
" A. GORDON LAING.'
• Were you with Major Laing at the fir,t attack?—Yes, and
wounded—(Showing his bead).
" Did ,you remain with bun at Mooktars T—Yes.
" Did you accompany him from thence to Timbuctu ?—Yes.
" How was he received at Timbuctu?— Well.
" How long did he remain at Timbuctu ?—About two months.
" Did you leave Timbuctu with Major Laing ?—Yes.
▪ Who went with you ?—A kuMe of Arabs.
" In what direction did you go ?—ree sun was on my right cheek ?
" Do you know where you were going ?—To Sansanding.
O Did you 'lee any water. and were you molested?—We saw no
waterioniewere we molested till the night of the third day, when
the Arabs of the country attacked and killed my muter.
" Was Any one killed besides your master?-1 was wounded,
but cannot say if any were killed.
"Were you sleeping near your master?—Yes.
How many wounds had your master ?-1 cannot say, they
were all with swords; and in the morning I saw the head had
been cut QM
" Did the. person who had charge of your master commit the
murder ?—flielk Burbasch, who accompanied the Reis, killed him,
being asshted by his black servants, by swords, when asleep.
41 What did the Sheik then do?—He went oo to his country.
An Arab took me back to Timbuctu. •
" What property had your master when be was killed?—Two
unless one carried the provisions; the other carried my muter
and his bags.
▪ Where were yam master's papers?—ln his bag.
° Did -you endeavour to preserve them?-1 was so stunned
with the wound I never thought of the papers.
▪ Wete the papers brought back to Timbuctu 7—l don't know."
'And this Arab thus deposes before the Kadi of Tripoli—
" Appeared before me, &c. and malteds oath, according to the
eitablished form of the Mahomedan faith. Sungola, servant to the
late Major Laing, who swears that be was with his master three
days beyond Timbuctu, and saw his master murdered; and that
be actually saw the bead separated from the body. •
" Signed, itc. In the presence of his Highness's Minister.
IL D. GHIES."
Thus perished poor Lain. by the hand I f an assassin,
after being the first to accomplish an object, the attain-
ment of whist' has long been considered. as a desidera-
tum in geography: There is, howeverEa faint hope that
his journals dray be recovered.. An Arab, who carried
a correct account of the murder triour Consul at MG.,'
gadore, reported also that s friend of his had books
(not printed, but sirritten)thatbelonged tothe Christian,
and thought he could get them ; in which attempt, we
need scarcely say, the Consul gave him every en-
couragement.

_ -
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL
ASSOCIATION.

Yesterday the Annual Meeting of this Associatica
as held at the King's Arms-yard, Coleniaa-vit ;
WILLIAM Mammies, E q. in the Chair. supported-by
Mr. HUME, M.P. Mr. BARCLAY. M.P. Mr. Maitioat-
BANKS, M.P. Mr. RICHARDS and Mr. 'MAAR, of the
B..nk of England, &
Tire Secretary lead the Report—lt showed that, by
the latest accOutrts bet.ne the Directors, the Association
had in their • setilk ment in Australia 9,660 breedrng
ewes, 2,630 lambs, seders, atc.. 195 horses. includilg
,100 brood mates, and 2 000 cattle. The Report also
announced the arrival at Port-Stephens of Voce ships.
chartered for the conveyance of Merino sheep, horses,
&c. for the settlement. Ot 9*/8 sheep, only 35 had
died. The last grant made to the Association by Go-
vet nment comprised 1 048 960 acres of land, of which
35,840 were unproductive sea-coast land, but nezessary
to mark the Company's boundary ; 320 acres surto end-
ing the North Head of Port Steph..ns had also h-ea
reserved by Government for the purpore of a n ili.a.y
station. A shipment of wool had also been made, and
turned out well. The Report spoke in high terms of
the orderly conduct of the settlers and convicts.
Tire Report was received unairinsouJy. Accounts
were then exhibited,which showed that the total outlay
of the Company, sit prosecuting its objects, amounted
to nearly 180,0001. Tire Auditors were re-elected and
thanks voted to the Chairman. The Meeting then
separated.