171 
1874.] E. C. Ross —Annals of 1 Oman.—Book VII. 
every day: many were killed and the people of Nezwa experienced much 
suffering. 
At length, a great battle was fought, the like of which we have not 
heard of the forces of. The forces of Malik were well nigh put to flight only ; 
when half of them had fled, the remainder were unable to escape, as the enemy 
had surrounded them like a ring. Despairing of escape from slaughter, they 
made a desperate rally and fought with fury. The Nezwa men, on the other 
hand, thought victory secured, and many commenced to plunder, each one 
trusting to his comrades to keep watch. In this situation, a body of Malik’s 
men made a determined attack on them and routed them. In their flight 
they lost numbers in killed and wounded. The enemy pursued as far as a 
place called Jannur el-Khoseh, near the bend of el-‘Akr, slajung and 
capturing. A great number of the inhabitants of Nezwa fell on that day. 
Beharab then returned to his camp, and for some time desultory skirmishing 
daily occurred. At length, Malik marched out with all his force, ex¬ 
cepting only a few, whom he left to guard his camp, and advanced as far 
as Hin&t of el-‘Akr. His plan was to attack that place from the enclosed 
garden of Showeykli, making loopholes in the wall for musketry. The 
people of Nezwa, however, sallied out against him, and the millstones of war 
revolved amongst them for an hour of that day, at the end of which Malik- 
bin Nasir was slain, and his forces were routed and forced to retreat to their 
camp. They remained encamped there, but were much weakened by the 
fall of Nasir. Fighting nevertheless continued between them and the 
people of Nezwa, until Mohammed-bin Nasir the Grhafiri arrived with his 
force from el-Grharbiyeh, after having fought several severe battles at Wadi 
el-Sakal and in el-Jow, and at Dhank and el-Gfhabbi. I refrain from describ¬ 
ing these actions to avoid prolixity, and as moreover they are well known. 
Mohammed-bin Nasir now ordered an attack to be made on a body of 
the enemy in el-Makhadh. His forces accordingly attacked and surrounded 
them, and the fire of matchlocks was sustained from morning till night. 
When night fell, Mohammed-bin-Nasir ordered an assault to be made on 
them from the el-Sakal side along the Wadi leading to Fark. The attack 
succeeded, and morning found the place completely evacuated, not one of 
the enemy being left in it, all having fled. At this time, the Seyyid Yahab 
was ill. Mohammed-bin Nasir then returned to Nezwi, where he remained 
a few days, after which he ordered his army to march on el-Rost.ik. 
The siege of Nezwa had lasted two months all but six days. 
On arrival at el-Rostak, Mohammed-bin Nasir encamped with his 
entire force at Felej el-Sharat. His men desired to assault a tower in which 
‘All-bin Mohammed Sahib el-‘Anbur had ensconced himself: but Mohammed- 
• ' 
bin Nasir restrained them until Sahib el-‘Anbur and his men commenced 
hostilities, when the assault was ordered. A severe fight ensued, in which 
X 
