114 • AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

Egyptian army held out stoutly, and behaved bravely, still the mountain district of land called Assir, between Hedjas and Yemen, proved a refuge not to be forced, and one he never could win, as the elite of the population, composed of a body of not more than five hundred warriors, holding themselves distinct from the others, •have, by their wild courage and fiery love of fatherland, ever been victorious, and triumphantly beaten off all attacks.* But to the conscienceless Pascha, this destructive and murderous war was most welcome, as it afforded the best and surest vent for getting rid of those restless fellows who stood in the way of his plans. To it were sent all whose deaths were desired; to it were insubordinate regiments despatched, and to it were thousands on thousands of Arnauts hurried off. By these most assuredly had Mehemet Ali been raised to power. By their love of blood he had swept his foes from his path and made firm his rule, but now no longer did the master want his tools ; their claims and demands were too great, their excesses and cruelties were the dread of the land, and so the cunning Pascha gladly availed himself of this excellent opportunity of sending them to destruction, causing them to be most anxious to go, by dazzling their eyes with visions of rich booty and unrestrained plunder and bloodshed. Nay ! so far did old Ali carry his shameless inhumanity, as to give secret orders to his trusted ofiicers to " expend " the Arnauts in every way ; and so, during the march to Arabia, many of these latter were ordered on distant expeditions into the deserts, with cei'tain promise that camels should be sent after them with food and water: but no supplies were ever sent, and those unfortunate men were allowed to perish miserably in the wastes from thirst and starvation. If Mehemet Ali sought a defence for such barbarity, one well suited to him might be found in this, that his own safety and the maintenance of his power demanded the extirpation of these Arnauts ; and certainly from his refusal to admit their claims, and the evil way in which he rewarded their former services, as well as their ever being at the call of him who paid best, they were, undoubtedly, most ready and able to attach themselves to any other • Of this remarkable war in Hedjas, the details of w hich arc most probablj even yet little known, I hope ere long to be able to give the public some account from materials I have by me.