Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-05-27
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hAeONn LA Ia
ASSASSINATION OF MAJOR LAING AND
CAPT. CLAPPERToN. 1t is with great con-
Germ that we state there is no longer any
doubt with respect to the fate of these en-
terprlsing, persevering, but unfortunate
travellers. They have been murdered.
The Pasha of Tripoli has received letters
from one of his officers in the interior of
Africa, communicating the painful intelli-
gence.
1t appears that Major LANG was severe
y wounded by robbers in the territory of
Toualt. Having, however, recovered, in
consequence of the kind attention of
marabout, or priest, he at length succeed
ed in reaching Timbuctoo But he had
scarcely arrived, before the Foulahs, that
powerful and warlike horde which at pres
ent reigns exclusively over the immense
deserts of central Africa, came, to the
number of thirty thousand, and demand
ed that Major Laing should be delivered
up to them, that they might put him to
death; =" and thus" as they observed,
"prevent Christian nations from receiving
such information as might enable them, at
some future period, to penetrate into, and
enslave, the countries Sof Africa" Be-
fore the arrival of the Foulahs, twenty
four chiefs, among whom was female
called Nuna-Beira (Princess-Mother, J
commanded simultaneously in Timbuctoo.
One Of these chiefs of the name of 9th
-Vouid-Q uaid-Aboubekhr, had re-
ceived Major Laing into his house, on the
recommendation of the Sheik Il-Mokhtar,
with whom lie mad taken refuge after hav-
ing escaped the daggers of the Hangers
When the Foulahs presented themselves
before Timbuctoo, and demanded Major
Laing's head, his host, Othman-V You'd
Quaid-Aboubekhr, contrived his escape
at night, escorted by several servants, who
were supposed to be trustworthy. 1t UNI
fortunately happened, however, that one
of them, of the name of Ruhhel, had been
bribed by the Foulahs; and this fellow
not only delivered Laing into their hands,
but gave him the first of the stabs under
which he fell. Every body knows the
praises which Denham and Clapperton, in
their narrative published two years ago,
bestowed on the Sultan Bello, the SOW
ereign of these very Foulahs who have
just assassinated Laing, and Clapperton
himself.-It was a relation of the Sultan
Bello's Ahhmed-Labbon, who repaired to
Timbuctoo, on the arrival of Major Laing.
After having accomplished his immediate
object by the assassination of our brave
friend, he destroyed the oligarchy in Tim
buctoo, and established, as the sole gov
ernof of the city, the very Othman-V Would
Quaid-Aboubekhr, whom we have already
mentioned. Poor Clapperton was murder
ed at Sakatoo, the ordinary residence of the
Sultan Bello; Notwithstanding the kind
reception which he had experienced from
the Sultan on his first visit. This double
perfdity of the African Prince, by whom
these sanguinary acts have been either or
dered or permitted, and that after having
shewn so much attachment to the English,
appears to have been simply owing to the
distrust created in his mind by certain in
dividuals, who represented our unfortunate
countrymen as spies sent for the purpose
of ascertaining the best means of facilitat-
ing the conquest Of his country.
The Inhabitants of Toualf