HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 295 



father had taken from the tomb of the Prophet ; he 

 required that Deraiah should submit to the jurisdic- 

 tion of the governor of Medina ; and he refused to 

 confirm the treaty, unless the Wahabees would cede 

 to him the province of Hassa. Deceit wrs one of 

 the most prominent and reprehensible features in 

 the character of Ali ; and although his son, his equal 

 in rank (both being pachas of three tails), had con- 

 cluded a peace that was considered binding on hi& 

 whole party, he represented matters under a differ- 

 ent point of view at Constantinople. As he had 

 pledged himself to annihilate the heretics by de- 

 stroying their capital, he found it necessary to per- 

 suade the sultan that he had not yet abandoned that 

 object ; the treaty agreed to by Toussoun being only 

 a temporary armistice. 



It now became manifest to Abdallah, either that 

 the young prince had deceived him, or that the fa- 

 ther, by his extravagant demands, had given a fresh 

 proof of the contempt in which he held all engage- 

 ments. He summoned a council of his kinsmen and 

 principal officers, and their opinion was, that they 

 had no alternative but arms if they wished to pre- 

 serve their religion and their independence. De- 

 fensive preparations were everywhere made ; stores 

 of provisions and ammunition were thrown into the 

 cities and fortresses ; the sheiks were obliged to 

 renew their oaths of fidelity ; the imams in the pul- 

 pits discoursed of war and the treachery of the 

 Turks. Thirty thousand troops were raised, and 

 the command assigned to officers whose talents and 

 courage had been tried in the preceding campaigns. 

 The rich sold their property to pay the army and 

 purchase the necessary supplies. All were animated 

 with the most patriotic enthusiasm : " God," said 

 they, " will give us, who profess his unity, the vic^ 

 tory over those who admit a plurality." Abdallah 

 visited the provinces in person, and obtained rein- 

 forcements from Bahrein and Hassa ; some tribes 



