MOCHA. 
125 
mand. The revenue of these provinces from this time has 
reverted to the Imaum. 
The defection of SherifFe Hamood soon drew upon him an 
attack from the Wahabee^, and in the following July, Abu 
Nookta,* chief of the province of Kubtool Bucker, which lies to 
the south of Confuda, marched under the orders of Shorood to 
subdue him. Though Sheriffe Hamood' s whole force did not at 
this time amount to more than five hundred men, he was rash 
enough to meet the Wahabee in the field, and in the first onset, 
which took place at Ghezan, two stages from Abu Arish, he 
suffered a signal defeat, which compelled him to make a pre- 
cipitate retreat. 
This failure produced great alarm throughout the provinces ; 
and the inhabitants and merchants of Loheia and Hodeida began 
to embark their property through fear of the ravages which the 
Wahabee were likely to commit in following up their conquest. A 
measure of this kind, it should seem, would have promoted their 
interests, but owing to some unknown reason, such a step was 
delayed. This gave time to Sheriffe Hamood to recruit his army, 
and enabled him to receive large reinforcements from Sana, which, 
as the safety of the state depended upon it, consisted of four 
thousand men, and a supply of forty thousand dollars ; by the help 
of which he is said to have augmented his forces to the number of 
twenty-five thousand men ; four thousand of which were mounted, 
either on dromedaries or horses. This may be an exaggerated 
statement, but in a country, where the profession of every man 
* The real name of this chief was Abd' iil* Hukal ; he was called Abu Nookta, or 
" Father blind-eye,'* from the loss of one of his eyes. 
