316 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



power of the Wahabees. All the tribes eastward of 

 the mountains that bound the great desert parallel 

 with the sea, still acknowledged the supremacy of 

 Saoud. The Turks never encountered them in the 

 open country without being defeated ; and as the 

 conduct of Ghaleb was by no means such as to in- 

 spire his new allies with confidence, Mohammed 

 Ali thought it necessary to visit in person the scene 

 of action, that he might establish his authority on a 

 more secure and permanent footing. Egypt had 

 long been in a state of complete subjection ; so that 

 he could allege no excuse to the Porte for disobedience 

 to its peremptory commands. He embarked at Suez 

 with 2000 infantry, while an equal number of ca- 

 valry, accompanied by a train of 8000 camels, pro- 

 ceeded by land. Of the latter only five hundred 

 survived, the rest having perished on the road 

 owing to the scarcity of herbage. On his arrival 

 at Mecca he ingratiated himself with the inhabit- 

 ants, by distributing presents and ordering the 

 mosques to be repaired. His first interviews with 

 Ghaleb were on friendly terms, but he soon became 

 cool in his demonstrations of amity. Although both 

 had sworn on the Koran never to attempt any thing 

 contrary to the interest, safety, or life of each other, 

 these vows were not considered binding longer than 

 it was convenient to keep them. Both were equally 

 suspicious, and accused each other of insidious ma- 

 chinations. It now became the principal object of the 

 Egyptian pasha to arrest and imprison his rival ; 

 an enterprise of no small difficulty, considering the 

 sheriff's influence over the neighbouring Arabs, and 

 the strength of the castle where he resided, which 

 was well supplied with provisions, and defended by 



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