Page 163 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

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town. A body of men made their appearance in the distance,
coming from inland, but seeing the troops, they changed their
direction, and approached the town by way of the creek, which
they crossed, rushing towards the gates. From the town, pirates
poured out, waving swords and spears and firing guns. The
shots and the excitement led the British to suppose that the Sul­
tan’s troops had arrived before they were expected, and were now
making an assault on the town. But the newcomers turned out
to be Arab reinforcements from other towns on the Pirate Coast,
who were being welcomed by the firing of guns by the defenders.
This was ‘the mode of salutation to the different Arab chiefs who
came to the assistance of Ras al Khaima’. Soon after the main
body of the reinforcements had entered the town, a solitary man,
riding on a camel, bearing a large red flag, made his appearance.
He was greeted with shots from the troops who were now within
range, but ignoring the bullets he rode at full speed towards the
town and reached the gates unhurt. ‘This is one of the many
instances of the extraordinary personal intrepidity of these people,
who arc naturally brave and ferocious, and arc also enthusiastic
in their own religion. But our troops had a yet stronger proof
of their personal and collective bravery on the night of the 3rd.’
A British and an Indian regiment were assigned to the two
batteries as working parties, to prepare emplacements for the guns,
piquets having been thrown forward to protect them. The main
body of the two regiments was encamped in the rear, among date
groves about half a mile from the town. The heavy guns had
been dragged some way from the shore, and were left with the
ropes attached to them, under a guard.
A little before midnight, a shot was heard from the batteries,
then shooting broke out among the piquets and the main advance
guard, which appeared to be retiring. The pirates had made a
determined sortie from the town. By creeping on their hands
and knees along the beach, they had managed, without being seen,
to get behind the batteries where the light guns were sited then,
leaping to their feet, they attacked the piquets with no other
weapons than their swords and spears, cutting down many of the
troops and spearing others. A number of men were killed in this
engagement, including the colonel who was in command of the
advance party. The troops rallied, and after a charge and some
hard fighting, the enemy were driven back, ‘with great slaughter,
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