MOCHA. 
127 
were by no means consistent, and in consequence he openly re- 
fused, whilst the old Imaum should survive, to acknowledge any 
but his superior authority. 
At this period, the struggle against the Wahabee and the neces- 
sity of strengthening himself in his government precluded Sydee 
Achmed from any active measure of resentment. In the mean 
time he was not remiss in preparing a force that might be ready 
to carry his future intentions into execution ; and for this purpose 
five thousand men were raised under his orders by Ali Suad, the 
chief of Uddeen. 
On the other side, Sultaun Hassan was equally alert, and in order 
to augment his force, raised about fifteen hundred Abada soldiers 
by permission of Sultaun Hamed in the territories of Aden. 
These troops, when joined to the force before commanded by 
Sultaun Hassan, formed an army of about three thousand men, 
which in a fortified town were likely to make a formidable resist- 
ance against opponents who had no cannon to bring into the field. 
To support this force he was under the necessity of raising contri- 
butions upon the merchants by very unjustifiable means, against 
which, as far as the Banians under British protection were con- 
cerned, our resident. Captain Rudland, made a very spirited 
remonstrance, and this, as will always be the case, when urged 
with a due degree of firmness and temper, had a very sensible 
effect in restraining the Dola's injustice. 
This urieertain state of afiTairs continued till September, when 
they were brought to a crisis by a strange concurrence of events, 
■which in their progress strongly mark the anxious desire to 
avoid the shedding of blood, which characterises the natives 
