HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 289 



tional fierceness and insolence, which had in some 

 degree been checked. Ah stained his laurels with 

 the most revolting cruelties. The 300 prisoners to 

 whom he had promised quarter fell by the hand of 

 the executioner. Fifty of them were impaled alive 

 before the gates of Mecca ; twelve suffered a like 

 horrible death at the halting-places on the road to 

 Jidda ; and the rest imder the walls of that town. 

 Their carcasses were allowed to remain until the 

 dogs and vultures devoured them. 



Without suffering the ardour of his troops to cool, 

 the pasha directed his march on Taraba, where he 

 arrived within four days after the battle. Faisal fled 

 at his approach ; and the deserted inhabitants, who 

 consisted chiefly of old men, women, and children, 

 were glad to capitulate and beg for protection. A 

 panic had seized the whole country, and the Turk- 

 ish army met not the slightest opposition. As the 

 strength of the enemy lay in the southern countries, 

 Ali resolved to follow them into their own territo- 

 ries, and if possible to exterminate their party. 



Several of the chiefs and fugitives who had made 

 their escape from Bissel posted themselves at Beishe, 

 a fertile country eastward of the Yemen moun- 

 tains. Here they had assembled to a considerable 

 number, and seemed determined to maintain a very 

 obstinate resistance, — having defended themselves 

 by a line of mud-fortifications, pierced everywhere 

 with loopholes for the discharge of fire-arms. A 

 cannonade was kept up without effect for two days, 

 when a discharge of shells put an end to the con- 

 test. One of these having exploded, set fire to some 

 combustibles, which communicating to all the dry 

 woodwork and thatching of reed and palm-branches 

 in the interior, had the effect of spreading almost 

 immediately into one general blaze ;— the heat and 

 smoke of which became intolerable even to the as- 

 sailants, and soon drove out the besieged to a pre- 

 cipitate flight, when they were instantly pursued by 

 Vol. II.— B b 



