268 HISTORY OF the wahabees. 



Of the latter he had no fewer than 2000 as his own 

 property; for some of which he gave the extravagant 

 price of 500/. or 600/. When an expedition was me- 

 ditated against the enemy, the sheiks levied soldiers 

 by a kind of conscription, from every village, camp, 

 or family, under their control, according to its pop- 

 ulation ; and the corps was again dissolved as soon 

 as the campaign was over. All from the age of 

 eighteen to sixty, whether married or unmarried, 

 were required to attend. On pressing emergencies 

 no numbers were mentioned ; the chief merely said, 

 " We shall not count those who join the army, but 

 those who stay behind ;" a summons which was 

 understood to include every man capable of bearing 

 arms. 



The necessary provisions for a soldier during one 

 campaign were reckoned to be 100 lbs. of flour, 50 

 lbs. or 60 lbs. of dates, 20 lbs. of butter, a water- 

 skin, and a sack of wheat or barley for the camel. 



Stratagems and sudden invasions being most fa- 

 vourable for their purpose, no other mode of war- 

 fare was practised. When Saoud planned an incur- 

 sion, the object of it was known to himself alone. 

 He assembled the emirs at a certain point, gener- 

 ally a watering-station, which was always selected 

 so as to deceive the enemy. If the march was in- 

 tended for the northward, the place of rendezvous 

 was appointed several days' journey to the south ; 

 the foe was then taken completely by surprise ; and 

 such were the caution and celerity with which these 

 attacks were executed, that they seldom failed of 

 success. They were made at all seasons of the 

 year, even in the sacred month of Ramadan. The 

 army was always preceded by a vanguard of 30 or 

 40 horsemen ; and if they were obliged to advance 

 under night, the chief and all the principal sheiks 

 had torches carried before them. In coming to 

 close action, the troops were divided into three or 

 four squadrons, one behind another ; the first com- 



