He mentions having received permission to proceed to Timbuctoo, adding, but that “with Timbuctoo, my research must, for the present, cease, as I have no camels to carry me farther.” No mention, nor even allusion is made in this letter, concerning the attack of the Tuaric, but in the one dated the 10th, he says, “I am recovering rapidly, but am subject to dreadful pains in my head, arising from the severity of my wounds;” and he speaks of his being unable to write much “from the mangled state of his arms.” The statement, however, of the Arab servant, gave a clear account of all the circumstances, and is as follows:—“That they left Tuat, and travelled about eight hours (or thirty-six miles) each day, making forced marches when in want of water; that on the 11th day, the koffila was joined by twenty Tuaric mounted on maherries; that on the sixteenth day from Tuat, at a place called Wady Ahennet, the Tuaric, armed with guns, spears, swords, and pistols, fell at once on the rest of the koffila, consisting of forty-five persons; that they surrounded Laing’s tent, cutting the canvass cords, fired at him while in bed, and that before he could arm himself, he was cut down by a wound in the thigh; that himself (the Arab) received a sabre wound, which brought him to the ground; that Babani and his people rendered no assistance, nor were they attacked by the robbers, but he remonstrated with them, and fetched a marabout in the neighbourhood, who abused the Tuaric for their conduct, and made them swear not to molest the koffila farther.” Laing seems to have thought Babani acted oddly on this occasion, though he says little on the subject; the Arab saying, “that Babani one day before the attack, took the belts and gunpowder from me, and the other black man, and gave them to the Tuaric, but Laing did not tell me to mention that part, but he objected at the time to Babani’s giving powder and the belts to the Tuaric.”