288 IBRAHIM PACHA'S SYRIAN CAMPAIGN. 



Syria, to re-establish its authority, encountered new obstacles. The 

 son of the Emir Bechir, assembled troops in the mountains, and 

 held out for Mehemet Ali. Damascus armed itself through fear, 

 but retained as an hostage the Pacha, appointed to conduct the 

 caravan to Mecca. Memiran Osman Pacha, had been selected by 

 the Porte, for the government of Tripoli, but it was necessary to 

 take possession of it by force of arms. This port was already oc- 

 cupied, in the name of Mehemet Ali, by Mustapha Agar Barbar, 

 a man of considerable note in the country. The Seraskier Mehemet 

 Pacha, consented to furnish Osrnan with some thousand irregular 

 horsemen, fourteen small field-pieces, the latter arrived before his 

 capital early in April; believing the Egyptian Comander-in-chief 

 still occupied with the siege of St. Jean d'Acre. All his dispositions 

 of attack, consisted in scattering his troops over the surrounding 

 hills, and in ordering his artillery to play upon the town, which did 

 not displace a single stone ; the guns of the castle were also, so badly 

 pointed, that the Turkish horsemen galloped up to the very houses, 

 and were only driven off by a brisk fire of musketry ; which galling 

 them severely, they fled across the heights. Night put an end to the 

 affair: a few days after, Ibraham having left to one of his Lieu- 

 tenants, the direction of the siege of St. Jean d'Acre, and wishing to 

 reconnoitre the country, appeared at the head of 800 men, with six 

 field-pieces, before Osman's camp, who, seized with a panic, imme- 

 diately abandoned it to the enemy, and hastened to form a junction 

 with the Pacha of Aleppo, who was posted near Hameh. The 

 Egyptian general instantly pursued him, and took up a position at 

 Horn ; but threatened upon this point, by three brigades of the 

 Seraskier Mehemet Pacha, he retired, after some skirmishes, to 

 Balbeck ; where he established his camp, and was joined by Abaz 

 Pacha, his nephew, at the head of 800 men. But his presence was 

 required in other quarters, divisions had broken out on several 

 points, and the slowness with which the operations of the siege of 

 St. 1 Jean d'Acre was carried on, had damped the ardour of his 

 partisans. At Tripoli a conspiracy was discovered, in which were 

 implicated, the Cadi, the Muphti, and the principal Turks. 



After receiving a considerable reinforcement of troops from 

 Candia, and making some defensive dispositions to the south of 

 Bolbeck, Ibraham returned before St. Jean d'Acre, to bring the 

 siege to a conclusion, by a decisive attack. On the 19th of May, 

 the fire was recommenced with great vigour; the Egyptians made 

 the most extraordinary efforts to get into the city, arid experienced 

 a heavy loss ; but scarcely was a breach effected, than it was again 

 closed up. Nothing was left standing in the town, the palace was 

 destroyed, and Adullah Pacha obliged to retire to the caves dug by 

 Djezzar ; the garrison was reduced to less than 2000 men. At last, 

 on the 27th of May, a general assault was made. Three breaches 

 were practicable, one on the tower of Kapou Bourdjou, the other 

 two at Nebieh Zaleh, and at Zavieh. Six battalions had the horrors 

 of the attack, which commenced at day break, and lasted twelve 

 hours. At Kapou Bourdjou, the Arabs were on the point of giving 

 ground, but Ibraham having, with his own hand, struck off the head 



