"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎٤‎٧] (١٧٨٢/٧٩٠)

3<?)
647
some adjacent buildings. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon the centre of
the town had been gained, the British flag- had been hoisted on the
Shaikhs house, and only the northern quarters at the point of the penin
sula remained in possession of the enemy. By 4 p.m . 5U yeseels belonging
to the place, including 30 large war boats, had been set on fire by the
seamen of the fleet, and the town had become the scene of a general
conflagration. Some booty was obtained by individuals,* but no general
plunder was authorised.
At daylight on the 14th, in consequence of a report that a large
body of Arabs was approaching from the interior, Colonel Smith,
actuated doubtless by the instructions to avoid a conflict with the
Wahhabis, hurriedly re-embarked his force. No admission of defeat had
been obtained from the enemy, w T ho immediately re-occupied the shore
with every gesture of defiance. There ie reason to bftlievfe that the
Wahhabi general Mutlaq did actually move to the assistance of Eas-al-
Kbaimah as soon as he heard that it was attacked ; and, especially in
view of what occurred a few weeks later at Shinas, it is impoesible
to condemn the cautious behaviour of the British commandei.
It does not appear that the fighting at Uas-al-Khaimah can have
been of a severe character; but some particular buildings were held
with obstinacy. The fatal casualties on the British side two
men killed on board the u Prince of Wales ^ and Captain Dansey of
the (iStli Regiment, slain by a spear, which struck him in the neck while
he was clearing a house in the town; the wounded numbered 21. But
for the screen formed by the smoke of burning houses, the Biitish losses
would, it is said, have been much heavier. In regard to the enemy it was
reported that "from 70 to 80 of these vagabonds were killed. The
landing and embarkation of the troops, in view of the difficulties by
which these operations were attended, were consideied to have been xeiy
successfully performed.
The armament then crossed the Gulf to Lingeh, which was
deserted by the inhabitants at its arrival; on the 17th the town was
occupied without resistance by a small detachment of native troops and
given to the flames ; and 20 sailing craft, of which 9 weie large wai
vessels, were destroyed.
At midday on the 26th of November the cruisers a Mormngton,
" Ternate," " Nautilus " and " Fury " with the transport " Mary," having
obtained pilots at Qishm town, entered Clarence Strait and ancnored
off the port of Laft. They carried a force ofjibout 500 land troops^
*ri^privafce^f British regiinentB 8£»n after placed £300 in an officer's
tands to be remitted to hi# friends.
Evacuation,
14th Novem
ber.
Casualties,
Destruction
of Lingeh,
17th Novem
ber.
Operations at
Laft, 26th to
28fcb Novem
ber.