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Laing

Title	Laing
Author	Ann Schlee
Publication	Pan
Size	519p
Language	ENG
ISBN	0330346474
Topics	English fiction--Historical English fiction--Biographical English fiction--Africa English fiction--Travel Travel--Africa--Sahara Laing, Alexander Gordon (Explorer, 1793-1826) Discoveries in geography--Fiction
Notes	Laing believed he had found the source of the Niger and proposed to travel along the river to its delta. Joseph Banks, president of the African Association supported his project, hoping that the expedition would reveal the location of Timbuktu. Henry, 3rd Earl Bathurst, then secretary for the colonies, instructed Captain Laing to undertake a journey, via Tripoli and Timbuktu, to further elucidate the hydrography of the Niger basin. Laing left England in February 1825, and at Tripoli on 14 July he married Emma Warrington, daughter of the British consul. Two days later, leaving his bride behind, he started to cross the Sahara, accompanied by a sheikh who was subsequently accused of planning his murder. Ghadames was reached, by an indirect route, in October 1825, and in December Laing reached In Salah in the Tuat territory, where he was well received by one particular group of Tuareg. On 10 January 1826, he left Tuat and made for Timbuktu across the desert of Tanezrouft. Letters written in May and July told of his suffering from fever and the plundering of his caravan by another group of Tuareg. Laing describes being wounded in 24 places in the fighting. Together with another survivor, he managed to reach Sidi Al Muktar, penniless and having lost his right hand. He joined another caravan and reached Timbuktu, thus becoming the first European to cross the Sahara from north to south. His letter dated from Timbuktu on 21 September announced his arrival in that city on the preceding 18 August, and the insecurity of his position owing to the hostility of the Fula chieftain Bello, then ruling the city. He added that he intended leaving Timbuktu in three days time. No further news was received from the explorer. From information pieced together later, it was ascertained that he left Timbuktu on the day he had planned and was murdered on or about the night of 26 September 1826. [wikipedia] The novel is based on the letters between Laing and Warrington.

823

SCHL 12

40839

Available