312 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



have been annihilated had the Wahabees instantly 

 pushed over the mountains, instead of contenting 

 themselves with seizing the baggage and artillery. 



Under such disastrous circumstances Toussoun did 

 not forfeit his reputation for bravery. With tears 

 gushing from his eyes, he was heard to exclaim to 

 his flying squadrons, " Will none of you stand by 

 me?" and after vainly endeavouring to rally his 

 troops, he hastened to the rear with only two horse- 

 men of his own suite, and plunged into the midst of 

 the enemy, to make them desist from the pursuit. 

 Having set fire to his camp at Bedr, and left his mili- 

 tary chest, which he had not the means to remove, 

 he embarked at the nearest port, where some of his 

 ships lay at anchor, and proceeded to Yembo, where 

 in a few days he was joined by the wreck of his 

 army. These losses completely disheartened the 

 troops ; the Bedouins deserted, Saleh Aga and Omar 

 Aga declared they would no longer fight in Hejaz, 

 and were sent back to Cairo. The Wahabees scour- 

 ed the country to the shores of the Red Sea, being 

 joined by the Sheriff Ghaleb in person. 



When the intelligence of this failure was known 

 to Ali Pasha he lost no time in preparing for a new 

 expedition. Fresh reinforcements of men and am- 

 munition daily arrived ; while large sums of money 

 were sent for distribution among the Bedouin sheiks ; 

 by which means a considerable number of them 

 were detached from the interest of Saoud. In Oc- 

 tober 1812, Toussoun thought himself sufficiently 

 strong to make a second attempt upon Medina. 

 The gold of Egypt had opened the dangerous pass 

 of Jedeida ; and the Turkish army arrived without 

 opposition under the walls of the city of the Pro- 



