HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 319 



stroying them. From the smallness of the space, 

 and the close contact of the parties, the scene of car- 

 nage within became dreadful in the extreme. Not 

 only the swords and knives, but even the teeth and 

 nails of the combatants were made use of in their 

 fury ; several of the besiegers were killed, or rather 

 torn to pieces, in this horrid encounter ; while not 

 one who had been engaged on the other side was left 

 alive. The brutal Zaim, exasperated at their obsti- 

 nacy, published a reward of 200 piastres (3, 6s. 8d.) 

 for every Arab head, or pair of ears, that should be 

 brought to him by his troops. The Arnaout soldiers, 

 naturally greedy, dispersed themselves in every di- 

 rection to reap their bloody harvest, dragging their 

 wretched victims from their lurking-holes, some of 

 whom consented to save their lives at the expense 

 of mutilation. The Turks having got possession of 

 the place, were ordered to maintain it as a military 

 post. But their triumph was short. Early in May 

 they were surprised by the descent of a corps of 

 8000 or 10,000 Wahabees, under the personal com- 

 mand of Tami. Their appearance spread general 

 consternation ; the Arnaout guard at the well were 

 cut to pieces ; and the panic-struck commander 

 with most of the troops fled to the ships that lay 

 in the harbour. The invaders entered the town, 

 where they put all that could be found to the sword ; 

 and such was their eagerness in pursuit, that they 

 swam after the fugitives, and actually killed numbers 

 of them in the water under the guns of the vessels. 

 These repeated disasters greatly displeased, but 

 they did not discourage AH Pasha, who had now 

 established his headquarters at Tai'f. Zaim Oglu 

 was appointed governor of Jidda; and Toussoun, 



