"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٧‎٣] (١٧٨٢/١٤٢٨)

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share in the hostilities upon the side of the Turks. A curious incident
of the campaign was witnessed by Messrs. Latouche and Harford Jones
of the Basiah Residency, the former of whom, as he was returning to
Europe by Baghdad and Aleppo, arranged to have a parting interview
on the way with Thuwaini, whose camp was then on the right bank of
the Shatt-al- Arab at some aistance above Basrah. Immediately after
the visit, which ended at sunset, was over, Thuwaini struck his camp;
and his force, consisting of 1,000 to 1,200 mounted men, at once began
to cross the great river by swimming. In the course of the night and
the following morning the Muntafik travelled a distance of over 65 miles
by land, besides swimming two large creeks ; and at 9 a.m . the next day
they surprised the enemy in their camp and completely routed them.
1 he Ka ab had been aware of Thuwaini^s appointment with Mr. Latouche.
and they had not thought it possible that he could be upon them within
so short a time after it.
In 1786, the year after that in which Sulaiman Pasha at last consent- Rebellion of
ed to appoint a Kehiyah in the person of his protege Ahmad, then 36 u^ ai '
-C i* 1 1 Tl- . man
years or age, a tresh rebellion broke out in the province; it was headed 1786-87.
by Haji Sulaiman Baig, the Shaikh of a powerful Arab* tribe in the
vicinity of Baghdad. Haji Sulaiman, who had resided for some years
at the 1 asha s court, having been detected in a political intrigue, was
ordeied to quit the capital and obeyed; but he immediately took up arms
against the Government, and he was supported in his resistance to the
Pasha by a strong party. Several engagements took place between the
i asha s troops, which were commanded by the Kehiyah, and those of the
rebel leader; and about the beginning of February 1787 the fortune of
war appeared to favour the latter, who was said to have won a victory
and to have taken prisoner the Pasha of Kurdistan, one of Sulaiman
Pasha's generals. At one time it was even rumoured that the Porte
had appointed Haji Sulaiman Baig to the Pashaliq of Baghdad in super
session of Sulaiman Pasha ; but the statement, though well vouched for,
proved to be erroneous ; and the rebellion was at length suppressed or
otherwise came to an end.
In the early spring of 1787 the general outlook was far from reassur- Various
ing, for not only was the rising just described at its height, but scarcity 1787.
or provisions and high prices prevailed in the Basrah districts in conse
quence of the failure of the rivers to rise to their usual height during
the previous season ; and communication with Baghdad by the Euphrates
' ill
* Dencribed as the "Tye" Arabs.