HISTORY OF THE \VA1IABEES. 273 



while their nimble enemies pressing from behind, 

 and outrunninfT them alonpr the hills, poured inces- 

 sant volleys upon their disordered ranks. About 

 1200 were killed ; and the whole body might have 

 been annihilated had the Wahabees instantly pushed 

 over the mountains, instead of contenting themselves 

 with seizing the baggage and artillery. 



Under such disastrous circumstances Toussoun 

 did not forfeit his reputation for bravery. With tears 

 gushing from his eyes, he was heard to exclaim to 

 his flying squadrons, " Will none of you stand by 

 me ?" and after vainly endeavouring to rally his 

 troops, he hastened to the rear with only two horse- 

 men of his own suite, and plunged into the midst of 

 the enemy, to make them desist from the pursuit. 

 Having set fire to his camp at Bedr, and left his mili- 

 tary chest, which he had not the means to remove, 

 he embarked at the nearest port, where some of his 

 ships lay at anchor, and proceeded to Yembo, where 

 in a few days he was joined by the wreck of his 

 army. These losses completely disheartened the 

 troops ; the Bedouins deserted, Saleh Aga. and Omar 

 Aga declared they would no longer fight in Hejaz, 

 and were sent back to Cairo. The W'ahabees 

 scoured the country to the shores of the Red Sea, 

 being joined by the Sheriff Ghaleb in person. 



When the intelligence of this failure was known 

 to Ali Pasha, he lost no time in preparing for a new 

 expedition. Fresh reinforcements of men and am- 

 nuniition daily arrived : while large sums of money 

 were sent for distribution among the Bedouin sheiks ; 

 bv which means a considerable number of them were 

 detached from the interest of Saoud. In October, 

 1812, Toussoun thought himself sufticiently strong to 

 make a second attempt upon Medina. The gold of 

 Egypt had opened the dangerous pass of Jedcida ; 

 and the Turkish army arrived v/ithout opposition 

 under the walls of the city of the Prophet, The 

 tpv/n and castle were occupied by a Wahabee gar» 



