292 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



being all that remained of an army of 4000. In April 

 he visited Medina, where Toussomi was governor ; 

 probably with a design to obtain information re- 

 specting the affairs of the northern Hejaz, and to 

 concert with him measures for their future proceed- 

 ings. But the state of Egypt afforded a sufficient 

 reason for his immediate departure. Apprehensions 

 were entertained of an attack being made on Alex- 

 andria by the capitan-pasha of the grand seignior. 

 An insurrection of the troops had also broken out at 

 Cairo, originating in their dislike to the attempted 

 introduction of the European system of discipline ; 

 and when the pasha reached his capital in June, 1815, 

 after an absence of nearly two years, he found every 

 thing in tumult and confusion. 



The remainder of the Arabian war was now left 

 in the hands of Toussoun Pasha, who, while his 

 father was subduing the southern tribes, had con- 

 ducted operations in the north against Abdallah ibn 

 Saoud. When the news of All's success became 

 known to the Arabs on the frontier of Nejed, many 

 of their sheiks came to Medina, and made proposals 

 to Toussoun to join him against the Wahabees, 

 whose power they had felt more severely than others 

 at a greater distance. With these assurances he 

 conceived hopes of conquering the province of Nejed 

 and emulating his father's fame. Setting out with a 

 small expedition of 2500 men, infantry and cavalry, 

 he resolved to try his fortune by making an attack 

 on Kasym. After a march of ten or eleven days, he 

 arrived at Rass, a considerable town defended by a 

 wall. This, with several other large villages, gave in 

 their submission. But here he found himself in a 

 precarious situation ; and discovered that, like most 

 Turks, he had not sufficiently calculated his means. 

 The light troops of the Wahabees were hovering 

 around, and rendered his army wholly dependent on 

 two or three villages for their daily subsistence. 

 The road to Medina was occupied by the enemy ; 

 and it was on this occasion that the gallant Thomas 



