IBRAHIM PACHA'S SYRIAN CAMPAIGN. 291 



haste they forgot to issue rations to the troops, who reached Horns 

 at ten in the morning, almost dead with hunger and fatigue. The 

 Seraskier of Aleppo was encamped, with his irregular troops,, at the 

 gates of the city ; but without deigning to even think of the enemy, 

 whom they thought at some distance, or to issue rations to the starv- 

 ing troops, they wasted their time in vain ceremonies. The young 

 Mehemet Pacha was carried, under a salute of artillery, into a magni- 

 ficent tent pitched upon the bank of the river. There the two viziers 

 made a long interchange of compliments, and smoked the hargueleh : 

 'midst of all this mummery, intelligence was brought in that the 

 Egyptian army was within two hours march of them. The disorder 

 that ensued was dreadful. The hungry soldiers dragged themselves 

 in masses to meet the Arabs. The latter waited for them, with their 

 front masked by light troops, presenting twenty-seven battalions de- 

 ployed in line, the left of which rested on the Orontes, and the right 

 upon a hamlet at the foot of a hill. The Egyptians, who were igno- 

 rant of the presence of the Turkish regular infantry, had adopted 

 this vicious disposition against their irregular cavalry. But no one 

 really commanded among the Turks, and thus the opportunity of 

 striking a decisive blow was lost. Every colonel had an opinion of 

 his own. One pacha wished to retreat, while the European instruc- 

 tors insisted on an immediate attack. In short, the artillery even 

 refused to advance to the front. However, Ibrahim Pacha did not 

 remain inactive; he pressed the Turks closely, and doubled his 

 line from right to left, and pushed forwards some battalions on the 

 side of the Orontes, but they were checked by part of Beker's bri- 

 gade and two pieces of cannon. Then the whole Egyptian line halted 

 and opened their fire. In the course of twenty minutes the left of 

 the Turks suffered considerably. Mehemet Pacha resolved to charge 

 the enemy with the bayonet ; but instead of remaining with the 

 second line in order to direct the movement, he put himself at the 

 head of his soldiers to attack the Arabs, who immediately formed 

 in column. Before he reached them, he was abandoned by his artil- 

 lery, while his cavalry, which should have turned the enemy, fell 

 back in disorder from before a battery which they might 

 have carried. The second line of infantry did not support the 

 movement with vigour ; and on the Egyptian columns deploying 

 into line, preparatory for a decisive charge, the whole Turkish army 

 went to the right about in the most disgraceful manner, pursued by 

 the enemy's cavalry. It was a general " sauve qui pent." The 

 approach of night alone saved the Turkish army from total destruc- 

 tion. The loss of the Sultan's forces in this affair amounted to 2,000 

 killed and 2.500 prisoners. 



The wrecks of the Turkish corps retired " pell mell" upon An- 

 tioch. Instead of rallying them, Nedgeb Pacha's brigade, which was 

 encamped at two hours' march from the field of battle, fled with 

 them. The field marshal, on learning this disaster, took post at the 

 tele du pont on Djezer, on the Orontes. He received the fugitives 

 at the point of the bayonet, and cut off the heads of the first mutineers 

 who endeavoured to cross. It was in such moments that Hussein 

 shewed himself to be above the ordinary stamp of mankind. His 



