HISTORY. 15

had poured forth, by attacking it with their swords.

The battle remained for a long time undecided.

The Defturdar placed himself at the head of his

cavalry, and, although ill, would not leave the field.

Several attacks were valiantly repulsed. The Be-

douins put the Turks to the blush by their bravery ; where the battle raged hottest, these children of

the desert were to be seen discomfiting the enemy

most. Victory inclined sometimes to the side of

the Turks, sometimes to the side of the men of

Kordofan, but it yet remained doubtful. The Turks

were sometimes sorely pushed ; a Sheikh, however,

of the Bedouins, from the race of Gemeat, was for-

tunate enough to lay ISIoosalem, the leader of the

Kordofanese, prostrate with a pistol shot ; his death

decided the battle. The army of Kordofan, depriv-

ed of its leader, turned and took to flight ; they

were pursued by the Turkish cavalry, and many of

them killed on this route. Amongst the dead on

the field of battle three women were even found, who had taken an active part in the fight for their

freedom. On the second day after this battle, the

Defturdar entered Lobeid with his victorious army.

The town was plundered, and nearly wholly sacked ;

the Defturdar found immeasurable treasure in this

place, which this avaricious tyrant immediately ap-

propriated to himself. The country surrendered

without further resistance, excepting the mountain of

" Dyre," situated at twenty hours' march from Lobeid,

which has retained its freedom to the present day.

The Turkish army suffered deprivations of all kinds;