296 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



swords, and as many muskets, were piled in one 

 heap for distribution when the troops evacuated the 

 place, which in five days they had reduced to a 

 mass of smoking ruins. 



While the Wahabees were occupied on the banks 

 of the Euphrates, Ghaleb penetrated into Nejed and 

 took possession of Shara, a small town in the pro- 

 vince of Kasym. In his campaigns he had hitherto 

 been alternately victor and vanquished; but Ab- 

 delazeez, extending his views with his conquests, 

 now began to invade Hejaz with more zeal and 

 perseverance than he had ever before manifested. 

 Already Saoud had carried the arms and the faith 

 of his father among the mountain-tribes on the con- 

 fines of Yemen, where Abu Nocta, the sheik of 

 Azir, was left in charge of the new proselytes. The 

 tribes eastward of Mecca were obliged to yield ; and 

 the country was intrusted to the command of Oth- 

 man el Medaife, brother-in-law to Ghaleb, but who 

 had for some years been at enmity with his kinsman. 

 In 1802, he besieged Tai'f, which was taken after a 

 vigorous resistance, and condemned to share the 

 fate of Kerbela ; with this difference, that the sol- 

 diers had orders to spare neither old age nor infancy. 

 Eight hundred males were put to the sword ; but 

 the harems were respected. Many houses were 

 burnt, and the whole were plundered. All the 

 holy tombs were destroyed ; among others that of 

 Al Abbas, the uncle of Mohammed, celebrated 

 throughout Arabia for its beauty, and its sanctity. 

 The palace and fine gardens of the sheriff were de- 

 solated ; but his treasures had been carried to Mecca. 

 These successes emboldened the Wahabees, and for 

 the first time they interdicted the pilgrim-caravans. 



