HISTORY OF THE WAlIABEES. 283 



abandoned his colours while he was at the head of 

 his troops ; and to his loss may be attributed the dis- 

 asters which soon after befell his nation. His last 

 words, it is said, were addressed to his eldest son 

 and successor, Abdallah, advising him never to en- 

 gage the Turks in open plains — a principle which, 

 if strictly followed, would have ensured in all proba- 

 bility the recovery of Hejaz. 



Abdallah had been trained to arms from infancy; 

 and it is recorded of him, that at the early age of 

 five years he could gallop his mare. He was even 

 more distinguished for courage than his father, as 

 he made it a constant rule to fight everywhere hi 

 person. His mental qualities were considered to 

 be of the first order — and so long as Saoud filled the 

 throne, he occupied the second place in his domin- 

 ions ; none of his other brothers being allowed to 

 exercise any hifluence in public afiairs. With all 

 his superior reputation for bravery and skill in war, 

 however, he knew not so well as his predecessor 

 how to manage the political interests of the tribes 

 under his command, whose general strength was 

 now Aveakened by the quarrels of the great sheiks ; 

 while the measures v/hich he adopted in oppos- 

 ing Mohammed Ali seemed to prove that he by no 

 means possessed the wisdom and sagacity of his 

 father. 



The prospects of the Turks began to assume a 

 brighter aspect. Their army had been strengthened 

 by various reinforcements : 20,000 men were now 

 at the command of the viceroy, and distributed over 

 different parts of the country. At Mecca 350 were 

 stationed under Ibrahim Agaand the Sheriff Yaliia ; 

 between 300 and 400 were at Medina, where Divan 

 EftVndi had the command ; 300 formed the garrison 

 of Yembo and Jidda. The remainder Avere either 

 with Ali himself, or with Hassan Pasha and his 

 brother Abdin Bey, acting as the advanced posts of 

 the army to the southward of Taif. Four hundred 



