Star.
London, England, 1828-04-21 00:00:00

MAJOR LAING AND CAPTAIN CLAPPERTON

It is with great concern we state, that there is no
longer any doubt with respect to the fate of these en-
terprising. persevering, but unfortunate travellers. They
have both been murdered. The Pasha of Tripoli has
received letters from one of his officers in the interior of
Africa, communicating the painful intelligence. •
It appears that Major Laing was severely wounded
by robbers in the territory of Toualt. Having, how-
ever, recovered, in consequence of the kind attention of
a marabout, or priest, he at length .succerded in teach-
ing Timbuctoo. But he had scarcely arrived before
the Foulahs, that powerful and warlike horde which
at present reigns exclusively over the immense deserts
of central 'Viten, came, to the number of thirty thou-
sand, and demanded that M jot Laing should be de-
livered up to them, that they might put him to death ;
" and thus," as they observed, " prevent Christian na-
tions from receiving such infurmatnin as might enable
them, at some future period, to penetrate into and
enslave the countries of Africa." Before the arrival
of the Foulahs, twenty•four chiets, among whom was a
feniale called Nina Beira (Princess Mother) commanded
simultaneously in Timbuctoo. Oae of these Chiefs, of
the name of Othman Voold Q'raid Aboubekhr, had re-
ceived Major Laing into his house, on the recommenda-
tion of the Sheik II Mokhtar, with whom he had taken
refuge after having escaped the daggers of the Hangars.
When the Foulahs presented themselves before Timbuc-
too, and demanded Major Lais:g's head. his host,Othman
Vould Qnaid Aboubekhr, contrived his escape at night,
escorted by several servants, who were supposed to be
trust-worthy. If unfortunately happened, however, that
one of them, of the name of l!ehliel; had been bribed
by the Toulahs ; and this fellow. not only delivered
Major Laing into their hands, but gave him the
l`ors[ of the stabs tinder which he fell. Every body
knows the, praises which D.:triton and Clapperton,
in their Narrative, published two years ago, bestowed
on the • Sultan Bello, the sovereign of these very
Foulahs, who have just assassinated Laing, and
Clapperton himself. It was a relation of the Sultan
Hello's, Alihmed Labbori, who ref aired to Timbuctoo,
un the arrival of Major Icing. After having accom-
plished his immediate object by the assassination of our
brave friend, he destroyed the oligarchy in Timbuctoo
—:-and established, as the sole Governor of the city, tire
very Othman Vould Q raid Aboubekhr, whom we have
already mentioned. Poor Clapperton was murdered at
Sakatoo, the:ordinary residence of the Sultan Br!lo;
notwithstanding the• kind reception which he had ex-
lierienced from the Sultan on his first visit. This double
'perfidy of the African Prince, by whom these sanguinary
acts have been either ordered or permitted—and that
after having shown so much attachment to the English
—appears to have been simply owing to the disc ust
Created in his mind by certain individuals, who repre-
sented our unfortunate countrymen as spies; sent for the
purpose of ascertaining the best means of facilitating
the conquest of his country.—Literary Gazette.

Saturday the dispatches were closed at the East India
House, and delivered to the Pursers of the following
ships—viz. London, Captain Tistortiv SMITH, and
Canning, Captain PHILIP BArLIS, for China direct.
FlRES.—Saturday evening, about nine o'clock, a fire
broke Out in the lower part of a house in Playhouse.
yard, Whitecross.street, St. Luke's, occupied by a MI.
WALFOHD, dealer in marine stores. The flames were
exceedingly rapid in their progress, in a short time en-
veloping the whole house in one body of fire ; and in
about an hour the entire building was reduced to a
heap of ruins.
About twelve o'clock last night, the family of Mr.
YOUNG, of Grafton-street, Soho, were thrown into alarm
by a lit e bursting out in the shop which spread %i ith great
rapidity. In the alarm of the moment, Mrs. Yours
jumped into the street from. her bed-room window on
the second floor, and was taken up in a state of insen-
sibility, and we regret to state, has sustained very severe
injury. The remainder of the family escaped without
injury. Tile fire twilici it is believed originated thruugla
the negligence of an apprentice) destroyed the shop and
*lnfer rooms before it was extinguished.

SPORTING INTELLIGENGE.

.~ ~~ .

NEWMARKET FIRST. SPRING MESTING.
NEwslattre, 8117411 AT A ITZIUSOOIL
This meeting bids fair to he quite as fashionably attended as the
last, most of the lodgings bring wken, a great many victors arrived,
and the servants and saddle horses of other; corning in every
minute'. The ensuing week's rams are not only extremely v4ltt.ble,
but they are of considerably more importance than those of the
Craven Meeting, having three rich and very influential betting
stakes. viz. 2,000 guineas, 1,00'3 guineas, and Newmarket mats ;
all of them bringing our the principal favourites for the Derby ai d
Oaks. The betting on the 2,000 guineas stakes continues as in lam.
don at the end of the week, Navarin being at S to 4, Southcute
about 4 to 1, Sorcery at Bi to 1, Shari:set at 8 to 1, and En
(the Zealot colt) at 10 to 1; a point higher having been taken to a
considerable amount. Zoo and Trampoline are as before lot the
1,000 guineas sakes; Lord George Cavendi•h's Barrens filly is
also in some request for this stakes, few bring inclined to lay against
her. The Derby betting has not varied much here. Ndvarin i 4
At the rage, and keeping steady at 4to 1. The Southcote colt has
been backed by two or three good judges at 11 and 12 to t, and is
spoken of in high telltale Navarin advances for the St. Leger; any
one will take 20 to 1. He is also the favourite for the Newmirt: -t
Stakes, which will be run on Friday. 7 to 1 has been take's) tit u he
wins both the 2,000 guineas stakes and the Detby. The' framing
are at 1,000 to 10 fur the Derby—Druid, Lancastri so, Prue,
Mariner, Zinganee, Magnet, AdvancetOmen,'Ephesus,
Thr appointments are as follows—
Sweepstakes of 200 sows. each, Is ft. Bst .51b. T.Y.C.
Mr. Roger's b f Scheme, by Tiresias
Lord Jersey's Trampoline
Mr. Nowell's f by Walton—Cato.
Sweepstakes of 200 tires. each, It ft ; colts, Bst Sib ; fillies, Bst Lib;
.51b allowed to untried mares, &c. and if both Slh.
Duke of Rutland's c by Andrew—Sorcery (Ix untried)
Duke of Portland's c by Tiresias—Freak (rn untried)
Lord G. Cavendish's e by Woful—Harriet
Sweepstakes of 10(.1 sovs. each, h ft ; colts, bit 71b ; fillies, Bst Sib.
D NI.
Sir J. Slolly's Giraffe (Amy c)
Duke of Portland's Freak c
Mr. Bation's c by Woful—Luss
Scaith's f by Whalebone—Varnish.
• Sweepstakes of .300 toys. each, 200 ft. IL M.
Lord Lowthet's Bugle, Bst 71b • '
Sir J. Shelly's Itosalta, Bst 21b
Mr. Charlton's Spruce, Bst 21b.
Sweepstakes of 100 sues. each,fi ft. D. M.
Lord Cavendish's Rapid Rhone, Bst 71b
Mr. Walker's Translation, ast slb
Duke of Ilicbilsond's Starch, 84t
Lord Ezeter's Marinelia, 7st 9lb
Mr. Mills's Lunacy, 7st 91b
Lord Tavistock's Pilot, 7st 6lh.
Match 200 sovi. It ft—Duke of Graton's Turquoise agst Mr.
Payee's Varenne's filly, Sat sib each. T. V.C.
Match 200 says. h ft—Duke of Portland's c by Orville—Emily,
Sit 7lb agst Lord Orford's Spavina, by Orville, Set 41b. It. M.
Match 200 sovs. h ft--Mr. Thornhill's Mariner, Bst 71b, agst
Lord Anson's Louisa, flit 21b. Ab. NI.
Match 200 sows. h ft—Lcrd Egrernont's sister to Torn Thumb,
agst Sir J. Shelley's fby Waterloo—Cressida, Bst 41b each. First
half of Ab. M. •

At the close of the Newmarket Craven Meeting. 4.0C.0 guineas
were offered by a Noble Lord to Mr. Gully, for Mame:uke, and
refused.

C. K. K. Tynte, Fa'. M.P. has accepted the Stewardship of
Weymouth Races. Good sport is confidently spoken or.
HUNTING. •

Lord Yarborough's Fox Hounds meet on Wednesday, at Wrawby
Mill ; and on Thursday, at Itoiton Wood.

•
VARIETY OF SYLLABLES AND EXTENT OF LANGUAGE.
—Who can say to what an extent nun may arrive in making new•
discoveries ! yet he need not be puzzled to name them, though
state have fancied language may he soon exhausted as science in-
creases, and that it will be difficult to designate what time and
study may disclose. Every European tongue has, however, terms
enough. The changes of position In an alphabet of twenty letters
is almost Infinite. A continental writer says, that the syllables
alone which can be formed with the letters of the Greek alphabet,
including their minglinp and transpositions, amount tonne htwilred
millions two hundred thousand ! Now the words in Johnson's
Dictionary with their repetitions amount only to forty thioisand.-r
Rabelais says, " Debts, say I, exceeding in number the •yliables
resulting from the coupling of all the con.onants with the vowels,
designed and counted of yore by the noble Xvit, crates." This latter
writer made the calculation above alluded to.—Lentlati Weekly

ROYAL ASIATIC SOClETY.—Saturday a Meeting of
t' is Society was held at tee S ciety'shou e in Grafton-
street ; the Hon. C. 1M W. WypiN, President, in the
Chair. A number of presents, chiefly relating to Orient:it
art and learning, which had be. n male to the Society
•ince its Isst Mteling, by his Excellency Count Al oN.
!TIM, Sir ALEXANDER .101INST(.NE, Colonel.
TODD. COOMIIES, 3cc. were exhibited. Colonel Doroos
presented models of a set of Indian agricu:toral imp e-
menus, and detailed to the 111e.-to.g the r :nude of
management ; in his detail. the Colonel took occas•on ur
observe, that he had frequently seen the Indian ',level
drawn by from 15 to 20 oxen at mice. Lieu.. C Inset
PoLLOCK, through his brother, the Mori:ter, foe.eined
a book ci otaining the dispatches of a But mese Getlei al,
which excited considerable interest.

A Coroner's Inquest was held on Monday lAA on the
body of Thomas Sherwood, who, on the totc- ding
Friday, was killed by Robert Browne, whilst in the act
of ejecting him out of a house belonging to Mr. Lee,. at
Littleton Drew, Wiltshire. The Jury having returned
a verdict of .. Wilful Murder" against Browne, he has
been committed to Ftsherton Gaol, under the Coroner's,
warrant.

THE MARKETS.
CORN EXCHANGE, MARK-LANE, APRIL 21.
The supply of all descriptions of Grain being rather short this
morning, the Melding Trade was brisk at our quotations, which
were higher for prime picked parcels at the commencement of the
market, but these were not maintained, and the price gradually
set:led down to that of this day week. Barley sold freely at 26..
per quarter, and for a few eatranrdinary fine parcels as MIA as 374.
per quarter was obtained. 'Beans supported our last quotation.
White Peas were front Is. to 2s. per quarter dearer ; but there was
no improvement in the price of Grey Peas. Oats were extremely
dull kale, although the arrival is small; but the few sales made wire
at our last currency. In other articles there is no alteration.
Wheat, Kent & Ease:, SOs 70. I Peas, Grey 36s 3.8 s
Suffolk, sus 68a I Beans, Small 36s 38s
Norfolk, 50s 58s :Tick 34s 38s
&lye 30s 52s Oats, I'otatoe 24s 27s

52s 36s
Malt 56i 60.
Peas, White 363 381
Boiler, 40i 423