HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 281 



of the Azir Arabs and successor of Abu Nockta 

 The town, which was without a natural supply of 

 water, and defended only by a small garrison, was 

 taken in March, 1814 ; not, however, without a brave 

 defence and a great expense of blood. The walls 

 and bastions being composed of earth or unbaked 

 bricks, yielded to the cannon-balls, which sunk into 

 them without destroying them. From the small- 

 ness of the space, and the close contact of the par- 

 ties, the scene of carnage within became dreadful 

 in the extreme. Not only the swords and knives, 

 but even the teeth and nails of the combatants were 

 made use of in their fury ; several of the besiegers 

 were killed, or rather torn to pieces, in this horrid 

 encounter ; while not one who had been engaged on 

 the other side was left alive. The brutal Zaim, ex- 

 asperated at their obstinacy, published a reward of 

 200 piastres (3/. 6^. 8d.) for every Arab head, or pair 

 of ears, that should be brought to him by his troops. 

 The Arnaout soldiers, naturally greedy, dispersed 

 themselves in every direction to reap their bloody 

 harvest, dragging their wretched victims from their 

 lurking-holes, some of whom consented to save their 

 lives at the expense of mutilation. The Turks, hav- 

 ing got possession of the place, were ordered to 

 maintain it as a military post. But their triumph 

 was short. Early in May they were surprised by 

 the descent of a corps of 8000 or 10,000 Wahabees, 

 under the personal command of Tami. Their ap- 

 pearance spread general consternation ; the Arnaout 

 guard at the well were cut to pieces ; and the panic- 

 struck commander, with most of the troops, fled to 

 the ships that lay in the harbour. The invaders en- 

 tered the town, where they put all that could be 

 found to the sword ; and such was their eagerness 

 in pursuit, that they swam after the fugitives, and 

 actually killed numbers of them in the water under 

 the guns of the vessels. 

 These repeated disasters greatly displeased, but 



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