332 HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 



at a greater distance. With these assurances he 

 conceived hopes of conquering the province of Nejed 

 and emulating his father's fame. Setting out with a 

 small expedition of 2500 men, infantry and cavalry,, 

 he resolved to try his fortune by making an attack on 

 Kasym. After a march of ten or eleven days he ar- 

 rived at Rass, a considerable town defended by a wall. 

 This with several other large villages gave in their 

 submission. But here he found himself in a precari- 

 ous situation; and discovered that, like most Turks, 

 he had not sufficiently calculated his means. The 

 light troops of the Wahabees were hovering around, 

 and rendered his army wholly dependent on two or 

 three villages for their daily subsistence. The road 

 to Medina was occupied by the enemy ; and it was 

 on this occasion that the gallant Thomas Keith, while 

 hastening with 250 horsemen to the assistance of 

 his commander, was surrounded by a superior force, 

 and fell at the head of his troops, who were all cut 

 to pieces. In this action the brave Scotchman killed 

 four of the enemy with his own hand. 



In the mean time Abdallah had not neglected 

 his duty, having likewise entered the province of 

 Kasym with his army, and fixed his headquarters 

 at Shenana, only five hours distant from Khabara, 

 where Toussoun was now encamped. In this di- 

 lemma the adventurous pasha wished to terminate 

 all suspense by a battle ; but his officers and soldiers 

 declined, deeming it more prudent for persons in 

 their situation to compromise than to fight ; the 

 more so as Mohammed Ali had written to Abdallah 

 before quitting Hejaz, exhorting him to submis- 

 sion, and offering terms of peace ; at the same time 



authorizing his son to conclude the truce, if that 



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