Rene Caillie

About

French explorer who visited the city of Timbuktu and returned to tell his fantastic tale.

Before Fame

Reading Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe inspired him to make a career out of traveling.

Trivia

He spent years in Senegal learning Arabic and the customs of the people before setting off on an expedition to the famed city.

Family Life

He came from the lowest class of French society and his father was a former convict.

Associated With

The exotic Timbuktu was the setting of Geoffrey Holder's play.