Page 96 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

V.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 57

was sick, from his palanquin, and imme­

diately butchered him ; and the British force,

leaving two-thirds of their number dead upon
the field, were compelled to retreat, and, after
an undisturbed march of about eight days,

Captain Thompson, two officers, and about

one hundred and fifty men, the only survivors,
.
*
succeeded in reaching Maskat
Intelligence of this disaster was soon car­
ried to Bombay, and a large force of three

thousand men, under Sir Lionel Smith, again
landed f. Nowise daunted by their superior
numbers, the Bedowins, in concert with the

Beni Geneba, planned a night attack, which,

had it proved successful, would have placed
the British force in a singular dilemma. The
General and his staff were encamped at some

distance from the army, and it was proposed

by the Bedowins to cut off the whole of them.

* The Imam, with the remnant of his army, accompanied our
troops during their march, and it would be an injustice to the
noble and gallant character of this prince, were I to omit mention­
ing the resolute bravery with which he maintained his ground,
even when wounded, and his determination to retreat no farther
than Beni Hasan, if he had not been deserted by a large portion
of his army.
t In January, 1821.